Faithful
by Magickal-Phay
Summary: A year has passed after the apocalypse. But now CEDA's taking America into their own hands.
1. Peace, Interrupted

Peace, Interrupted

It had been one year since Rochelle, Coach, Ellis, and Nick were rescued. But not everything turned out to be honky-dory on the safe side of things. They were taken straight to a settlement situated in what used to be Biloxi State Management Area, south-east of New Orleans. Rochelle and Coach were taken to separate parts of the settlement whereas Nick managed to stay with Ellis in a small house.

The two lovers were sleeping soundly together when someone pounded on the door. Ellis moaned and rolled over, wrapping his bare arms around his lover, snoring. Nick looked at the clock. 6:18.

"What – who the hell would show up this early?" he asked angrily. Ellis stirred.

"Mmm?"

"Someone's at the door."

Ellis pulled Nick closer to him, breathing in his scent. He hooked his leg over Nick and exhaled heavily, pressing his hips into his backside.

"Well, ignore 'em," he sighed. He nuzzled Nick's neck. He smiled at the recollection of the previous night's events. Nick stroked Ellis' arms around him.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

Nick growled. "Fuck off!"

"Military official! I have something to discuss," bellowed a man.

Great. As if the military weren't giving them enough problems.

Ellis pulled away from Nick and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He pulled on some boxers and a pair of sweatpants provided by CEDA. Nick cursed and followed suit. Ellis grunted as he stood up and cracked his joints. He walked over to the door, peeking behind his shoulder to look at his lover. Man, what a night.

"Hey, kid," Nick said, "you might want to put on a shirt."

The mischief in the conman's voice forced the hick's gaze to snap down to his chest. He flicked on the light powered by their generator. The conman peered over and split into a half-grin, tossing Ellis a white t-shirt so he could cover the hickeys that dotted his skin.

"Thanks," Ellis murmured with a smile. Nick tied his sweatpants and pulled a shirt over his head.

Ellis pushed open the door to the bedroom and walked straight over to the front door as he dressed in his shirt. He unlocked it and pulled it open just a little to peek at the soldier.

He was tall and well-built with blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He stood taller than him and had more muscles on him than the retired mechanic/zombie-hunter. He held a clipboard in his hands and looked pissed off.

"Can I help you?" Ellis asked groggily. Nick passed behind him and went to the kitchen.

"Name's Mac. CEDA's sent me to have a little chat with you," he said bluntly.

"...Ok?"

"You might wanna let me in."

Ellis hesitated before fully opening the door. Nick sat down at the table. Ellis sat with him after offering a seat to Mac on the opposite side. The soldier looked from Ellis to Nick and back again, tongue in cheek. Ellis shifted in his chair.

"What do you want?" Nick spat, unpleased with his expression. The soldier's hard gaze fixed on the conman. He leaned back in his chair, tossing his clipboard onto the table.

"Gentlemen, as you know, the infected are dying out rapidly around the country. The infection is festering through their bodies and in turn, is killing the hosts. CEDA now wants to focus on different matters."

"Like?"

"Rebuilding America."

Ellis furrowed his brows. He looked at Nick. Nick's jaw was clenched as he glared at Mac.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Means that you two are to take part in this," he replied. He pushed the clipboard to Ellis with a smirk. Ellis picked it up and started to read.

"Project Repop?" Ellis murmured.

"Keep reading."

Ellis looked up at Mac, then over to Nick, who glared at the form, nostrils flaring.

PROJECT REPOP

The status of the infection is waning. Unfortunately, the population of America rests in the hands of the rescued, whose numbers range from 2,000 to 2,500 individuals situated in five separate settlements around the country. Since the sickness is no longer a major threat, the need for population increase is imminent.

Upon signing, this form signifies that the male/female have been informed and are willing to take part in Project Repop, a mission to boost the settlement's population by breeding unmarried (proof of marriage required) individuals aged 18 to 40 with other individuals. It is strongly advised that every person able to participate does so.

Please talk to an official if there are any questions or concerns. CEDA will be holding a settlement conference this Friday that every participant must attend.

CEDA

Ellis shot a look at Mac of utter bewilderment.

"The programs work like this: CEDA takes a man and a woman that are fit to reproduce, they provide them with a house in quadrant B dedicated solely for this project. They stay together for the one week the female is ovulating and try to conceive a child. If it is successful, then the woman gets a lovely pair of dog tags to wear around her neck. If not, the couple will try the next month. And so on and so forth.

"Basically, you two get to fuck the brains out of a woman, get her pregnant, and be on your merry way while doin' the country a favour."

"What?" Ellis gasped. "Hell naw, I ain't doin' this." He started breathing quickly. No. He wasn't going to touch another woman. He vowed to be forever faithful to Nick ever since they first had sex in the middle of the apocalypse. Nick scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Well, son, you don't have a choice in the matter." Mac's mouth split into an evil grin. Ellis gritted his teeth, his whole body quivering.

"The hell we don't. Says here that it is 'strongly advised'. And I'm telling you right now, I'm following enough rules as it is. So – fuck off." Nick stood up and scowled at the officer. "I'll show you the door."

"You see, that's where I come in." Ellis swallowed as the soldier crossed his arms. "I'm the one who makes sure you sign this form. Otherwise, I'll show you the consequences. Now, I suggest you and your 'friend' here sign these damn papers so you two can go back to bed, how 'bout that?"

"Get out."

Mac stood up. Nick twisted his mouth in rage. "There is no way you are going to get me to sign these forms."

"Oh, really?"

"Ok, let's jus' sit back down and talk about our options," Ellis said. Mac was close, now. Uncomfortably close. Threateningly close.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear," the soldier said. He pulled his pistol out of his holster and swung it at Ellis unsuspecting head. It hit him square in the jaw. He toppled off his chair, hitting his head on the hard floor. Mac loomed over him and stepped on Ellis' throat as Nick stumbled back in surprise. Ellis choked in fright as Mac pressed his boot into his throat, gun pointed down at him. "There are no options."

"Ellis!" Nick yelled. He stepped forward. Mac turned the gun on him as Ellis struggled for breath under his foot. Man, he was strong.

"Back off," Mac growled. Nick raised his hands, stopping in his tracks. "This is my final warning – sign those damn papers or else I'll shoot you and send your boyfriend off to CEDA's lab with 'infected' written all over his pretty face. And trust me, you don't want that. Now do me a favour and make my job easier. Sign the fucking form."

Nick curled his hands into concrete fists. Mac cocked the gun.

"Nick," Ellis wheezed. Mac pressed his boot against his throat harder. He choked, but he couldn't push him off.

Nick looked at Ellis. He picked up the clipboard and the pen that were on the table. Without removing his gaze from the soldier, he carved his signature into the paper after printing his full name.

"There."

"Nancy, too," Mac said. He jerked his head down to Ellis. Nick fumed. He stretched his arm to Ellis. Ellis reached his arm out as his vision began to splotch. He grabbed the board and the pen and held the pen to the form. He couldn't move his hands. He could not sign this contract.

Mac pressed the gun right against Nick's forehead, finger on the trigger. Nick glared back.

Ellis jabbed the pen into the paper and scribbled his signature, bitterly. He shoved it in Mac's free hand. Mac drew back his gun, but kept it pointed at Nick. He lifted his foot off Ellis, who gasped and relaxed. He lifted his gun in surrender and started for the front door behind Nick. He smirked and lunged for Nick, kneed him in the stomach, and exited the house.

"See you Friday!"

Ellis waited for the footsteps to fade before he bolted upright and coughed. He scrambled over to Nick, who was lying on the floor, clutching his stomach.

"Nick, you alright?" he rasped. He placed a comforting hand on his back as Nick finally gasped for breath.

"Well, this day just got better," he snarled. "Prick."

Ellis stood up, head swimming from Mac's blow. He pulled Nick up to his feet, but he still hunched over. They started heading back to the bedroom.

Ellis eased Nick onto the hard mattress and sat beside him. He leaned back and put his head on a pillow as Nick took long breaths to clear the pain in his abs.

"Been a while since some action, huh?" Ellis piped up in attempt to lighten the mood. Nick stayed silent. "Nick?"

"You realize what we just got ourselves into?" he asked quietly. It was Ellis' turn to be silent. Nick shook his head angrily.

"CEDA's fucked up," Ellis murmured, rubbing his head.

"No shit, really?" Nick snarled. "You didn't see that for the past year? You didn't see the fuckin' massive walls surrounding this place; you didn't see the soldiers bossing everyone around with M 16's; you didn't see half the survivors get hauled off and SHOT because they had a scrape? Wake the fuck up!"

"Calm down, okay?"

"Don't tell me to fuckin' calm down, Ellis! Dunno if you noticed, but we just –"

"Holy shit, 'course I noticed!" Ellis yelled. He turned onto his side, back facing the gambler. Nick took a few breaths before turning to Ellis. He dragged himself closer to the hick.

Ellis was trembling like a leaf. His muscles were tense and he was breathing shallow breaths.

"Kid, we don't have to do it," he growled.

"Yes, we do. If we don', Mac's gonna come back and make us do it. Or somebody will. Don't play dumb, you know it's true."

Nick moved closer to Ellis. He knew. He also knew that the confinement was getting to them. 500 other people shared this damn camp and there was barely enough room for everyone. It was a stark contrast compared to the months they spent fighting the infected out in the open cities.

"We talked about this, El," Nick said. "We knew CEDA was going to make us –"

"Yeah, I know. I remember."

Nick tried to calm down further, the pain in his stomach dulling slowly.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," the kid mumbled. Nick waited. He pulled Ellis close to him.

"You're a terrible liar, kid."

"My neck hurts. There, happy?"

"No."

"I don't want to do this."

"Keep going."

"I don't like the thought of you sleepin' with women."

"There we go."

Ellis flustered and hunched his shoulders. He crossed his arms under Nick's to separate them a little. No words could have been used to tell the kid that everything would be okay. Because it wasn't.

"I would have hoped you felt the same way," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't say it."

Nick furrowed his brows. "What?"

"You didn't say that you didn't like the thought of me sleepin' with women, either."

"Well, I do."

"Uh huh."

There was no point in arguing. Nick released Ellis with a huff and rolled to his side of the bed. He reached over the edge and grabbed his shoes. He sat up and stuffed his feet, stomping them on the ground a little to set his feet properly. He pressed his hand to his stomach as he stood up, wincing slightly. He forced his gaze away from the kid as he walked out of the room to the front door without another word.

Nick walked through the streets of the settlement, feeling the sun's warmth on his bare arms and through the soft fabric of his sweatpants. He breathed through his nose, keeping his jaw tight against his frustration.

Their house was the last one beside one of CEDA's walls situated on one street dedicated for housing: small one-bedroom houses with a kitchen and a bathroom.

Up the street, past the uncountable houses, there were facilities open to the public that were built from stray materials around the state (which there was no shortage of). There was a mess-hall that supplied everyone's meals. Beside that was a tiny convenience store, stocked with canned food, powdered milk, cigarettes, gum, cat toys, alcohol, soft drinks, and other things for the survivors to purchase with whatever money they had.

In the middle of the settlement was a massive building for CEDA. Inside were expensive labs to test the infected to formulate vaccines for the population. There was a clinic that could treat up to a whopping four people at a time. The labs succeeded the clinic in size by five times, proving to everyone how corrupt CEDA was truly being. And it didn't help that anyone employed there that wasn't a CEDA agent or a doctor was another soldier.

Nick didn't even acknowledge the few people he passed; the day was still painfully young. He passed the mess-hall and walked into the convenience store.

"Ay, Nick!" Stanley, the store clerk, flashed Nick a wide smile. He was about forty-five with gray hair and a large waist-line.

"Stan," Nick replied. He made way for the fridge in the back to grab a pop. His gaze fell on a bottle of Coke. He thought about the time he had to retrieve some for that gun store clerk back in Savannah. He grabbed it.

"You heard 'bout that project, yet? That's some shit, eh?" Stan said with a chuckle. "If only I were your age."

"Yeah, well, just my luck, I guess." Nick placed the bottle on the counter.

"How's your friend? Excited, too?" Stan, still smiling, punched the total into the old cash register.

Nick chuckled. He pulled out a bill and tossed it to Stan, who took it and placed it in the cash drawer. Inside, he felt like picking up the register and throwing it through a window.

"Take it easy, there, Nick!"

Nick barely acknowledged the clerk as he sped out. He continued up the street, tearing the metal cap off the glass bottle. He barely twitched as the jagged metal tore his palm open, allowing the drink into his skin. He chugged it down, feeling the carbonated liquid flow into him. It poked at his skin like a million needles. He threw the empty bottle to the ground, smirking at the smashing noise. He kept walking towards the centre of the settlement: CEDA's building.

Nick approached the fortress without slowing. Soldiers guarding the citadel took note of the conman, who looked determined to get inside no matter what. He pushed open the main doors and made his way to the front desk. Of course, soldiers in uniform operated the whole shebang. One made eye-contact with the gambler first. He had a nicer demeanour to hi than his fellow soldier Mac.

"Good morning, sir, how may I assist you this mornin'?"

"I'd like to know what the fuck is going on," Nick stated in his rough and cocky voice.

"I'm sorry?"

"This morning, you sent out a soldier to my friend's and my house regarding this "Project Repop" bull." Nick put his hands in his pockets, controlling the situation.

"Yes, every person between the ages of eighteen and forty would have been notified this week." The soldier picked up his coffee from his desk and stepped closer to the counter dividing the two men.

"Notified? Is that what you call it nowadays?" Nick scoffed. "Alright, sure, send in a soldier to intrude on our privacy and hold a gun to my head, not to mention injure both of us."

"I don't understand," the soldier replied. "Who was this soldier?"

"Not important. What's important is that he forced us to sign up and I would like to reverse that, please and thank you."

Hook, line, and sinker.

The soldier took a swig of his coffee and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, you see, you can't get out of it."

Or not. "Excuse me?"

"A soldier can't physically force you to sign a paper. If your signature is on the form, then you have to take part in the project."

Nick felt like the world stopped on its axis. "But he held a gun to my head! He fuckin' –"

"Sir, do you have physical evidence that this soldier did indeed hold a gun to your head?"

"I have a witness with a bruised neck," Nick spat.

The soldier looked around the office, slightly flustered. He placed his coffee mug on the desk and walked around the counter to be face-to-face with Nick. He dropped his voice so only the two men could hear the conversation.

"Look, son, there is nothing I can do. CEDA has strict rules and they will make sure they are followed by any means necessary. I'm sorry for any disrespect, but your signatures are now on file. I take it that you aren't married?"

Nick hesitated. "No," he murmured bitterly.

"Then there is nothing I can do at all. You will have to take part in the project until you conceive a child."

Last resort or fold. Nick breathed deeply, already knowing what he dreaded to begin with.

"How can I get it up with someone I'm not attracted to?" The question wasn't only for him.

The soldier inhaled. "The same way I shoot someone when I don't want to."

And for a split second, the conman recognized the look in the soldier's eyes. The soldier kept a straight face, but the gambler could see right through his poker face. He only wondered if it was his wife or his kid he killed first before battling the hordes.

"Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do."

Nick just stood there, wavering. He swallowed and nodded to the soldier. He turned towards the door and went back out into the street. He could see rain clouds flying in over head as he slowly drudged back home, the soldier's gaze burning into the back of his head the entire way.

It had rained within the fifteen minutes it took Nick to walk home. And he was soaked right through. His cotton clothing stuck to his skin, dripping at the hems and squishing in his sneakers. After five minutes of walking through buckets of water, he just took off his shirt in defeat. He stepped onto his small property, trying to avoid the thought of what he'd tell Ellis. He opened the door after wringing out his shirt and stepped inside. He shut the door and saw the chair still misplaced on the floor from when Mac hit Ellis to the floor. He left it and walked down the small hallway to the bedroom where Ellis was.

He slowly opened the door, water dripping into his eyes. Ellis was sitting on the farther side of the bed holding his face. Nick just watched the kid. He just watched him breathe. Nick quietly wiped the water off his face and kept staring.

Shit, he was shaking again. Nick ducked slightly as Ellis pulled his hands from his face to look straight out the window. There was no expression on his face as the gray light hit his body, reflecting off the streams of tears glinting on his cheeks.

Nick pressed his forehead on the doorframe, squeezing his eyes shut.

"What do we do?" Ellis mumbled. Nick looked up, seeing Ellis's head turned to him.

Nick walked up to the bad and sat down beside him, wet pants and all.

"Sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do," Nick replied. Ellis sniffed. "We have no choice, kid. I tried."

"I know, but –"

"Look, anything that happens out there stays out there. 'Don't ask, don't tell'. You don't ask about what happens with the women, and I won't tell you. I'll do the same."

The two men sat in silence for a moment. Ellis looked down at Nick's pants.

"You're wet," he muttered.

"So are you," Nick replied. He wiped his hand across Ellis' face to remove the tears. Ellis grabbed his frozen fingers.

"So anythin' that happens won't mean anythin'?"

"Well, I have to come home at some point." Nick chuckled and let Ellis rub his cold hand for warmth. "I had a Coke today. Remember that guy a while back?"

Ellis grinned. "That was fun. And he blew up a propane truck, too. Man, I thought you'd only see that shit on Myth Busters."

Ellis pulled Nick closer to him to warm him up further, carrying on with old pastimes and stories. They never even left the room that day. The only thing that seemed to exist was Nick and Ellis and their love for each other beneath the blankets. And the possibilities of what was could happen over the next few months that could shatter everything at once.


	2. Green Means Stop

Green Means Stop

"Fuckin' ridiculous," Ellis said under his breath. He and Nick were walking home from the conference CEDA had arranged to go over Project Repop. Crumpled in his hand was a piece of paper with the information of a woman he didn't know, but somehow, he'd have to knock her up.

Her name was Juliet Pearson, a down-right gorgeous red-head with wide green eyes and a cute mouth. She matched Ellis at being twenty-four. One of her listed 'special attributes' was combat and survival strategy, which couldn't be uncommon, given the circumstances.

However, Ellis didn't care about how she looked or what she could do. Her cycle started tomorrow, meaning Ellis had some packing to do when he got home. Ellis never asked Nick about his 'partner', so Nick didn't tell him. He still wondered.

Nick grunted in agreement at the hick's comment rubbed the back of his neck.

"When do you leave?" he asked gruffly.

"Tomorruh mornin'," Ellis murmured.

Nick gritted his teeth and scoffed.

"You?"

"One week."

Ellis furrowed his brow as he added things together.

"So I'll come home and you'll leave?"

"Pretty much."

The two men stayed silent the rest of the walk home. Ellis stuffed his hands into his old jeans provided by CEDA, looking down at the ground. Shit, if they couldn't talk now, what would happen after all was said and done? Ellis shook his head, trying to erase that thought like his mind was an Etch a Sketch. Everything would be fine... He just had to trust that his partner would have quick, meaningless sex with a strange woman and move on with his life like normal. Ellis bit his cheek and trudged onward.

After they arrived home, the two men separated into separate areas of the house; Nick went to the bathroom and Ellis went to the bedroom. He grabbed a cloth bag and opened their clothing bin (for they didn't have a dresser, yet). He started packing his clothes with a dim feeing in his stomach, hearing Nick unzip his pants through the silence.

He only had three shirts and three pairs of sweats, along with another pair of jeans and a sweater and many options for underpants. He picked them all up and folded them meticulously like Nick had taught him before. He stuffed everything into his bag in a haze until something caught his interest: his old outfit. Ellis faltered as old memories whizzed in his mind.

He slowly picked up his old overalls and Bull Shifters shirt, feeling the fabric in his fingers. He smiled at the outfit, remembering how he refused to part with it all those months ago. The outfit was pretty much legendary to him. It resembled the beginning of everything; the apocalypse, leaving his home town, and meeting his Nick.

Curious, Ellis peeped into the bin. At the very bottom was Nick's old suit. As if he were in a dream, he grazed his fingertips over the stiff fabric and over the stains that they had failed to wash out. He pulled out the three pieces – the white pants, the white coat, and the blue shirt. Hell, he was going to miss him this next week...

He looked up at the open door to check if the coast was clear. It was. He picked up Nick's blue dress shirt and stuffed it to the bottom of his bag. As Nick opened the door from flushing the toilet and washing his hands, Ellis threw his old clothes on top of Nick's now-incomplete suit and quietly shut the bin, feeling a tinge of guilt.

The next morning, Ellis slid out from under blankets after a sleepless night. Nick snored quietly as the kid rearranged the blankets neatly and pulled on his clothes.

He couldn't believe he was going to do this. He shouldn't be doing this. Hell, he and Nick should just escape and go back to fending for themselves.

'Yeah, and the soldiers in the towers will blow yuh up.'

Ellis sneered against the voice in his head. He walked around the bed and kissed Nick's warm forehead, whispering an "I love you" in his ear. This week would be the longest the two would be apart from each other since that fateful day in Savannah.

The hick proceeded to the door, turned the knob, and picked up his bag from the hallway before leaving the house entirely, heading for quadrant B.

"Ellis?"

Ellis cringed at the feminine voice saturated in a British accent that welcomed him at his temporary house. Julietta was standing in the doorframe, smiling widely.

"Juliet?" Ellis asked.

"Yup! You can call me Jules. Come in!"

Ellis stepped into the house with a strained smile. Jules shut the door firmly behind him and locked the door. Ellis tried to ignore that fact as he set his bags down.

"Ellis or El?" she asked breathlessly through her large smile.

"Ellis."

"Alright, then."

Already, Ellis knew Jules was different from some of the other women he had met – most of them were overly emotionally attached, or completely detached. So coming from a woman surviving a zombie apocalypse, she sounded way too happy. Ellis looked around the house, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Jules was in the kitchen making coffee.

"So how long have been 'ere?" she chirruped after a moment.

"A year since las' week." Ellis swallowed and shuffled his feet. He heard the clinking of china mugs connecting with the wooden counter. "You?"

"Ten months this Thursday."

"That's... amazing," Ellis breathed. Hell, he thought the apocalypse was at its peak twelve months ago. How could she have survived another two months out there?

"Well, I don't mean to brag or anythin'," Jules replied with a cheery laugh. She rounded the corner of the counter with two coffees in her slender hands. She reached out to her new companion with one cup. Ellis stared at it.

"I don't bite, Love," she cooed.

"That's a relief," Ellis laughed. He took the cup of coffee and followed Jules to the living room couch. Jules sat down and sighed. Ellis smiled forcefully and cleared his throat as he sat stiffly beside her.

Jules sipped at her coffee daintily, looking over Ellis with amusement. "Did you come 'ere by yourself?"

"No, I was rescued with three others: Coach, Rochelle, ... and Nick."

Ellis swallowed at the sound of his lover's name. Luckily, Jules was thinking of something else.

"Rochelle? I met her! She's so sweet, she and I used to get together for coffee like this!" Jules laughed. "What are the chances of that?"

"Very good, if yuh think 'bout it."

Jules' smile wavered at the comment. She closed her mouth and looked down into her cup. Ellis was quick to change the subject, asking about who she was accompanied with.

"Oh, no one," she said with a flick of her hair. "I came here from Wales by myself for a vacation. When the infection hit, I built a safe house in Poydras. It's a district-thing in the northwest from 'ere."

Ellis smiled at Jules admirably. "By yourself?"

"Yeah. I know I don't look it, but I used to be in the artillery back home. Technically, I could be one of them soldiers outside. Anyway, I just waited for a while, occasionally went out for food with my M-16, and held out until CEDA was plundering the streets for this camp."

Ellis stared at Jules. At least she wasn't some ugly heifer... maybe this would be easier than he thought. And it's not like it would mean anything; he'd just be following rules. At least she wasn't some thirty-year-old Texan or something...

"How about you, Ellis?"

"Well, I actually came from Savannah with the others. We all met there."

"Georgia!" she gasped. "You walked all the way here?"

"Not quite. I mean, we did walk a little, but we found this stock car at the mall in town, an' you'd never believe it, but..."

Jules listened intently at Ellis' description of his journey, laughing at the story of the Tunnel of Love and gripping her empty cup whenever Ellis described a witch or tank encounter. And in between every detail, Ellis unknowingly wiggled a Keith story in, making her laugh more.

"...So there we were jus' tearing it over this bridge, right, an' it was rigged with all these bombs an' shit an' there was this chopper that got us outta there an' they took us 'ere. Coach and Rochelle were taken somewhere else, so I live with my buddy Nick back in quadrant C."

Jules seemed to relax at the end of his story. "Gee, you make me seem lazy!" she giggled. "But I work out everyday anyway. My whole family's served in the military, so they were adamant on keeping fit."

"I used tuh be a mechanic, and the zombies an' all was enough to las' me for a while," he chuckled. Ellis flexed his bicep, showing off innocently.

Jules eyed the bulging muscle and nibbled on her bottom lip. She reached out with a hand and grasped his arm. She smiled, exasperated.

"My, my!"

Jules pulled back her arm and flexed like Ellis. Ellis reached out and grabbed her arm, squeezed it, and let go. "Not too bad, yerself!"

Jules looked away from Ellis, giggling. Her face went red as her eyelashes masked her eyes. She occupied herself with her plaid sleeve to look at her watch.

"You wouldn't know it, but we have been talking for four hours already! Hungry?"

"A little."

Jules smiled again before standing and walking into the kitchen. Ellis' eyes followed her figure warily. He took a deep breath, reassuring himself that this was only the first day. He had time to get used to it. That is, if he could get used to the idea of fucking another person besides Nick.

'Stop thinkin' 'bout Nick!' he told himself. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, yawning.

"Right," Jules stated as she ducked into the fridge. "CEDA has given us some sardines, cola, beans, apples, and other fruit. What takes your fancy?"

"Y'know what –"

"Oh! And a bottle of wine! How generous!" Jules grabbed the bottle by the neck and pulled it out of the fridge. "I prefer white wine, but red is better than nothing. Want a glass?"

"No, thanks." Wine was Nick's thing, anyway. Ellis didn't like the taste. He pressed his fingers into his temples.

'Stop. Thinking. About. Nick.'

Jules popped open the bottle and poured herself a glass. She also returned to the fridge and grabbed an apple, which she tossed to the kid. She skipped to the couch with a sly grin. Ellis yawned again as he chomped into the green apple, zoning out. Jules' was saying something about 'stop' and 'too much', but Ellis wasn't paying attention.

"Tired?" she asked. She swallowed down some of her alcohol, keeping an eye on the hick.

"Yeah. I didn't git much sleep las' night."

"Me neither! I was so nervous about meeting you, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Ellis murmured. Truth be told, he wasn't worried about meeting Jules. He was worried about what would happen when the sun went down. And he had about five hours before that happened.

"I managed to bring something with me to entertain us," she said after she gulped down more wine. "I grabbed it when I was in Poydras."

Jules stretched over the edge of the couch and grabbed her pack. She opened it with her free hand, the other holding the wine glass rather steady, and she pulled out what seemed to be a small laptop. She pulled out a DVD and opened the machine.

"It's a portable DVD player. We can plug it in because of the generator. The only DVD I have is Alexander. Is that okay?"

"Erm, sure?"

"Trust me, you'll love it."

And so they were occupied for another three hours as they watched the Director's Edition of Alexander. Ellis squirmed uncomfortably as Jules shimmied her way closer to him to snuggle against his chest. Ellis didn't want to be rude, so he left his arm limp around her, hoping she wouldn't hear his heart hammering. Every so often, he would be relieved whenever Jules ran out of wine, in which she'd refill promptly. Ellis blinked his eyes hard as his vision started to shift and blur. His head dipped forward as his eyes shut lazily. He rubbed his eyes again to keep himself awake. Soon, all he could do was shut his eyes and lay his head atop of Jules', falling down into a pit of darkness, dreaming.

Ellis woke because it was silent. He was staring up at the ceiling, feeling a blanket draped over him. He looked out the window. It was pitch black. How long had he been asleep? Where was Jules? In bed?

Ellis pushed himself off the smelly couch and stumbled into the kitchen to get some water. He noticed the green glass bottle of wine on the counter, almost empty. He furrowed his brow and looked around the room.

Jules had put away the DVD player and the DVD, and the house was still perfectly clean. The bathroom door was shut and light shone through the bottom.

"Jules?"

"You're awake!" she replied from the bathroom. "I'll be right out. Why don't you take a seat on the bed?" Her last comment was marinated in sensuality and seduction.

Time came crashing to a halt. Shit, was this it? Was this going to happen? Already? Ellis painfully obeyed Jules' request and entered the bedroom.

There were two large candles set on the bed table, replacing the light that had been turned off. He could smell the faint aroma of cherries in the air. The blankets were stuffed around the mattress, as if Jules had no intention of using them.

Ellis sat on the bed and calmed himself; he could trust Jules. And there was no commitment, anyway, right? It would be quick and simple and they'd both go on their ways.

The bathroom light flicked off and the door slowly creaked open from the hall. Ellis cleared his throat and waited. It was too dark for him to see her immediately, but her silhouette caught Ellis' eye. She slowly walked into the room, her body illuminated by the two candles. Ellis' eyes widened as she posed for him.

Her blood-red hair was messily tied up, allowing her sexy curls to bounce behind her head. Her lips were highlighted with gloss. Her legs were bare and shiny. None of this, however, caught Ellis' attention. It was what she was wearing

"Where did yuh git that shirt?" he asked hoarsely. Jules rubbed the soft blue sleeve of Nick's dress shirt on her cheek, stumbling towards Ellis. She had buttoned it up in such a way that it covered some of her breasts and her groin, but showed enough leg and cleavage to drive any other man crazy.

"I did some sneaking about," she replied seductively. Her eyes were droopy and her speech was slurred. She placed her hands on Ellis' shoulders and sat herself on his lap, looking down at him.

"Do yuh think you can... take it off?" he asked angrily. Jealousy swelled in his chest. Jules didn't see the anger and unbuttoned the shirt slowly, licking her lips.

"Of course, I can take it off," she cooed. She giggled and hiccupped, swaying violently. Ellis held her steady. She slightly moaned at the contact.

"No, I mean, it ain't mine, see, and –"

"Ellis, is now the best time?"

Ellis stared at Jules, bewildered at her comment. Did she just say what he thought she said?

Suddenly Ellis saw the blue fabric tumble away from her pale skin. She breathed hot breath in his face, panting as her bare crotch touched the rough fabric of Ellis' fly. He froze as she pulled Ellis' shirt over his head.

"Ok, Jules, I think we should – mmnhhh!" Jules crushed Ellis moving lips with her own, sloppily kissing his mouth. She pried his mouth open with her dripping tongue, invading his mouth. Ellis gasped and firmly grabbed the drunken woman's shoulders, gagging at the taste of old wine on his tongue. He was going to push her head away, but she was faster, moving her mouth to his neck.

"Ah!" Ellis gasped. Jules giggled again, followed by a moan. She dragged her fingernails over his chest, down to his belt, which she undid. The sound of the metal lightly clinking together made Ellis react. He pulled Jules away from his body.

"Jules, we can't do this. Not when you're like this. It ain't right."

Jules' kind eyes flickered, being replaced by furious orbs of gray. Her face contorted into rage. She drew her hands back and slammed them into the kid's chest, sending him sprawling on the bed. He didn't realize her whipping off his belt as he tried to catch his breath and sit back up. She grabbed his hands and held them together with her knees, using the belt as a restraint. She pulled the bind tight, biting the hide with her teeth.

"Jules, what the hell?" Ellis yelled. He wiggled his hands in an attempt to free himself from his belt around his wrists. Jules stooped over and snarled in his face as she held a firm grip on the belt.

"Listen 'ere, I dun' wanna sleep with some forty-year-old creep!" she slurred. "Either you give me this, or I'll take it. Got it?"

"W-what?" Ellis' breathing quickened as the scenario started to unfold. Jules, crazy and manic from her wine consumption, unzipped Ellis' pants. Her bicep swelled as she pulled the belt around Ellis' throbbing wrists tighter. Ellis forgot all etiquette and moral as Jules wrapped her hand around his member under his boxers. He shot upright, shoving Jules off him. She gasped and smashed into the floor. Ellis jumped off the bed on the other side, zipping his pants.

"DON'T FUCKIN' TOUCH ME," Ellis screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He sucked in deep breaths as he pulled his hands free. "I didn't mean tuh push yah, I'm sorry."

Jules emerged from the side of the bed, moaning from pain, sobbing, holding her head. Her back was turned to the panting man. She leaned against the bed table.

"Jules?"

The sobs turned to growls that grew in volume. Ellis' eyes grew wide at the familiar sound. He reflexively stepped back into the shadow of the corner.

Jules' growls turned into a blood-curdling shriek. She snatched one of the large candles and whirled around. She hurled it at Ellis. Thankfully, her aim was off.

"The hell?"

Just as fast as it had happened, Jules was running up to Ellis with the other candle in her hand. She screamed uncontrollably, her face contorted into fury. She grabbed Ellis' throat and pulled back the candle. Ellis ducked right before impact.

The candle smashed into the wall right beside the hick's face. He stared, terrified, into Jules' eyes as they flashed into pain. Ellis gasped at the feeling of hot wax pouring onto his shoulder. Jules clutched her hand close to her body, screaming at the sight of glass protruding from her hand and wrist.

Ellis heard a hard knock on the front door.

"In here! Help!" he yelled.

Jules' face went from pain to anger in a flash as the door got kicked off its hinges. A soldier came racing in, gun raised. He flicked on the light.

Jules turned to the soldier, blood trails webbing her arm. The soldier's eyes widened as she screeched at him. He aimed.

"NO!" Ellis screamed. Suddenly the screams went silent. Jules swayed on the spot for a moment before her knees buckled. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

The soldier was shaking. "S-shit!" he choked. "I thought she was one of th-those crying –"

Ellis panted, thinking of how much Jules resembled a witch at that moment.

"You okay?" the soldier asked. Ellis nodded shakily. He fought for breath, now coming in fragmented waves.

Jules moaned, still unconscious. The soldier pulled out a pair of handcuffs and fastened her arms behind her back. He turned to the bed and yanked off the blanket. He threw it over Jules' naked figure and replaced his gun. He wrapped Jules in the blanket and picked her up. Ellis remained still.

"C'mon, kid," the soldier murmured. He walked out of the room and out of the house.

Ellis didn't move, panting shallow and uneven breaths. He looked over to Nick's dishevelled shirt at the foot of the bed. He slowly stalked over the clothing and picked it up. He pulled it around his shoulders and staggered out of the room.


	3. Victim

Victim

"Hey..."

Ellis' familiar voice rang clear in Nick's ears. He was standing in a strange hallway, lit only by the light coming from a bedroom at the end of it.

"This is different..."

Nick could hear the happiness in Ellis' soft voice as he took a step towards the door. Slowly, he approached the passageway. He pushed the door out of his way and stepped inside the room. It was empty.

Nick looked around in his pyjamas, feeling a draft blow over his bare chest. Where was Ellis? Wasn't he supposed to be in quadrant B? What was Nick doing there in the first place?

Nick looked over his shoulder to peek back down the hallway. It was gone, a wall blocking his vision. He blinked.

"What the – wasn't the door...?"

Nick grazed his fingers over the wall where the door used to be.

"You like that?"

Nick whirled around at the sound of his lover behind him. A bed materialized in front of him, Ellis standing beside it, wearing nothing. He stepped back as Ellis looked him over, licking his lips. Nick exhaled. He did love his fantasy-filled dreams, nowadays.

"Yeah, I do," replied a voice.

Nick spun around again. A woman was directly behind him, staring at Ellis through Nick as if he weren't there. She wore only a white bra and matching panties on her skinny, pale body. She had thin lips and black-brown hair with stunning green eyes.

"Nicole..." Ellis purred.

"I told you to call me Nicki." The woman licked her lips and flashed a half-grin. Nick squinted at the sight of Nicki. She looked extremely familiar...

"Ellis?" Nick asked. Ellis ignored him. He walked up to Nicki, stepping through Nick as if he were a cob web. Ellis grabbed her hand and pulled her through Nick towards the bed.

"Ellis! Kid!" Nick yelled. He tried to step forward, but his legs were frozen. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed. Ellis didn't even blink. He sat Nicki on the bed with him and kissed her passionately. He grabbed her face, breathing deeply.

Ellis' hand slowly slid from her cheek to her shoulder. He grabbed onto her bra strap and slipped it over her fair skin. She moaned with pleasure as the other strap fell. The bra slipped from her breasts, exposing them to the kid's exploring hands.

Nick tried to shut his eyes. He couldn't. "Oh, shit," he murmured, staring at Ellis and the strange woman. Was this still a dream? Was this now a nightmare? Nick tried to open his eyes from his sleep, but it was as if his eyes were glued shut, forcing him to endure whatever would happen next.

"Ellis!" he yelled. Ellis continued to drag his hands over Nicki's body, pushing her down onto the bed and climbing on top of her. He ripped her underwear down to her knees. She moaned even louder as Ellis made contact with her with his fingers. She split her legs apart further as Ellis shimmied over to her, hands firm on her hips, ready to take the plunge.

"ELLIS!"

Nick gasped and his eyes snapped open at the sound of someone pounding on the door. He was drenched in a cold sweat and his legs were shaking.

"Shit," he choked as he wiped his eyes. He rolled over towards the bed table to look at the alarm clock. 4:37 am.

"C'mon," he snarled. He threw the covers off him and left the bed to answer the door. He opened the door. A gust of wind flew into the room, biting and cold. Nick shivered, trying to make out the figure in front of him.

"H-Hey."

Nick gasped as Ellis fell into Nick's warm arms, stiff with cold.

"Ellis? Shit, kid, you're freezing!" Nick helped the hick into the house and slammed the door shut while keeping Ellis upright. Nick flicked on a light.

Ellis was a mess. His eyes were red and his skin was pale. He had Nick's old shirt draped over his shoulders. His shoulder and neck were wrapped in gauze.

"What happened, kid? Come on too strong or something?"

"A-A-Actually, it-t-t was the other w-way around-d."

Nick didn't bother asking until Ellis regained a normal body temperature. He sat with his lover on the couch, holding his shivering body in a blanket as Ellis sipped at some hot water.

"You okay?" he asked after a sip. "You don' look too good yourself."

"Bad dream."

"Can I know what happened?"

"Well, you were having sex with me."

Ellis looked down, slightly offended, with a chuckle. "Gee, thanks."

"I was a woman."

Ellis choked on his water.

"I was watching, too. But I was only watching. The woman just had similar attributes to me... I dunno, it was creepy at the time."

Ellis didn't respond, clutching his mug.

"So what happened to you?"

Ellis bit his top lip and looked into his water. His eyes went vacant.

"The woman I was paired with...had too much to drink...well, she jus' decided to throw a candle at me."

"Just decided to?"

Ellis hesitated. "Yeah."

Nick glared at Ellis inquisitively. What was the kid leaving out?

"Anyway, CEDA'll give me a new match in the mornin'. The other woman's been pulled from the project. I walked here from the clinic. They managed to peel off the wax, but they had'tuh take some skin with it."

"Gross," Nick said. He looked at Ellis. Ellis didn't look up. He just kept staring into that mug...no smile, no chuckle, no nothing. "Hey, didn't something similar happen to Keith?"

Nothing. Ellis inhaled deeply and stood up.

"Do we have any painkillers?"

Nick sighed angrily. "Bathroom," he muttered.

Nick watched Ellis walk into the bathroom, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nice shirt!" he said bitterly.

"Thanks, Nick." Nick winced at the sound of his voice. It was so... depressing and snarky. It was different.

Nick bit his tongue. There was something that kid wasn't telling him. And he was going to find out what.

It took CEDA six days to get their shit together and send someone with a new match for Ellis. The anonymous soldier shoved the paper into Nick's hand as Ellis put away his clothes.

"Sorry about the delay; it seems we misplaced your paper," the soldier stated.

"Uh-huh." Nick didn't look at it and placed it face-down on the table after shutting the door.

"Ellis, you got mail," he murmured. Ellis' reply was silent as he walked from the bedroom to pick up the paper. Nick gritted his teeth.

"You're welcome."

Ellis nodded slowly and looked at the note warily. Nick walked into the kitchen to have a glass of water.

Ellis had said close to nothing since he came home. He was always in pain because of his burns, so contact between the two of them was minimal. Even in their sleep, Ellis distanced himself from Nick as much as possible, no matter how cold the bedroom was.

Nick finished gulping his water down.

"What day is it today?"

"Saturday," Ellis mumbled. "You're leaving today."

Great. That was the longest sentence he'd said in days.

"I know. I packed last night, remember?" Ellis didn't answer. He nodded. "When are you shipping out?"

"Tomorrow."

Nick looked into Ellis' eyes, unmoving.

"What?" Ellis asked, avoiding his gaze.

"You know what," snapped Nick.

Ellis shook his head and stepped back towards the bedroom. Nick stepped towards him, frustrated.

"Ellis, you haven't said more than ten words a day this past week. You don't touch your food. You don't even sleep right. When Mac came into the house, at least you talked after. But now, I have no fuckin' idea on what is going on."

"Maybe I don' wanna talk 'bout it?"

"What the hell? Don't give me that excuse!"

"You're mad at me? Why? What do you wan' me to say, Nick? What can I say that'll make you satisfied?"

"Anything more than 'please' and 'thank you'!" Nick retorted.

"Well, there yah go."

Ellis turned and disappeared into the bedroom.

"You know what, Ellis, fine! I tried! If you don't need my help right now, I'm leaving."

So when Nick didn't hear a response, he grabbed his suitcase and stormed out. Little did he know that Ellis was on his knees in the bedroom, biting his fist to prevent himself from screaming.

Rebecca Kiltswater – yet another unimportant name on another seemingly unimportant piece of paper; and that piece of paper was clenched in Ellis' hand as he made his way back to quadrant B. He fought off his sleepiness as he tried to find the right house, numb from exhaustion and the early morning chill.

Nick never came back the previous day, leaving Ellis to pick up his own pieces. Nick was right, and it took every ounce of Ellis to keep his mouth shut to tell him so. Sure, he could tell him everything, but he wouldn't take him seriously. How many women try to rape men every day? Not many. And to make matters worse, he had to go try again with another woman while Nick was in the same vicinity. At this time of day, Nick would still be sleeping, but on this particular day, he'd be sleeping in a different bed. With a woman. The thought set Ellis on edge until he found house 5F – his new temporary home close to the edge of the settlement.

He stepped onto the porch, slinging his packed clothes over his good shoulder. He placed a firm hand on the doorknob and shoved the door open. Hell, this early in the morning, Rebecca shouldn't even be awake.

Ellis tossed his bag noisily on the floor and looked around the house. It was simple enough; a living room with a kitchen to the side and a hallway with a bathroom to the left and a bedroom to the right. But something stood out to him.

A picture frame glinted in the light from the morning sun peeping through the windows. It sat upright on the counter next to a lit candle and a rosary. Ellis kicked off his shoes and proceeded to the kitchen where the picture was located.

A man holding a baby stared back at him as Ellis took the picture in his hands. He stroked the wood around it, feeling the smooth texture. There was a date in the bottom right corner. The picture was taken a year and a half ago. Ellis looked to the lit candle. There was very little melted wax on the top. It was new.

Ellis heard a shuffle around the corner in the hallway behind him. He whirled around, almost dropping the picture.

WHACK!

Ellis stumbled into the counter at the sting of a stick smacking into his shoulder.

"Ah!" Ellis exclaimed. He felt the searing pain of his burn come back at full force. He grabbed his arm, wincing. "Shit!"

"GET OUT!" screamed a woman. She raised the broom once again to hit him a second time.

"What the –" Ellis blocked the second swing with a firm hand. The woman blinked.

"Who are you?"

"Ellis!" he yelled.

"Liar!" she shrieked. She tried to wrench the broom from his grip.

"No I ain't! I have the paper! See?" Ellis placed the picture down and forced his hand into his pocket. He shoved the paper in her face. Her eyes widened. She dropped the broom and scampered back. Ellis stared at her.

Her paper said she was twenty-two. She had an extremely small figure with straight shoulder-length brown hair. Her hazel eyes were wide with terror. She held her petite hands to her mouth, covering half her face.

"Then – who was – you," she stuttered. She moved her hands from her face, revealing a large bruise on her cheek.

"Ow," Ellis groaned. He sucked in a deep breath and groped his shoulder. "That...hurt."

"You shouldn't be here," she hissed. She ran up to the counter and swiped the picture frame back. She placed it where Ellis found it.

"I am if you're Rebecca Kiltswater, an' I know you are for a fact." He recalled the picture that came with her paper. He sucked a breath in through his nose, trying to numb the pain spreading to his arm.

"No, no, Ellis was already here. He was here five days ago."

"No, I wasn't. I was at home with this here injury."

Rebecca pointed a hand at him, lips trembling. "You're Ellis? Born in Savannah? Living in quadrant G?"

"That's what I'm tryin' to say!"

Rebecca broke into a pace, speaking in a hoarse voice. "I-I don't understand, if you're Ellis, then who –"

"What's wrong?" Ellis asked. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't!" she yelled. "Don't touch me!"

Ellis snapped his hand back, the pain in his shoulder receding. "Okay, calm down."

Rebecca ignored Ellis and kept pacing, breathing dangerously fast, face red and strained, tears springing up to her eyes. Soon, she wasn't getting any air into her rapidly flexing lungs.

"Breathe." Ellis stepped towards the panicking woman, worried she was about to collapse. "Look at me! Breathe!"

Rebecca's eyes wavered and her knees gave out. Ellis grabbed her frail body and threw her arm over her shoulder.

"Get off!" she wheezed.

"Look, I ain't gonna hurt you. I'm jus' gonna put yah on the couch."

Rebecca relaxed a little, allowing Ellis to pick her up and gently set her on the couch. He pulled off the blanket draped over the end of the seat and placed it over her legs. She flinched every time he moved, gasping and squeaking, tears flowing over her skin. He stepped back, Rebecca's wide eyes following his every motion. She clutched her chest, sucking in deep breaths.

"Listen to me, 'kay?" Ellis said. "I need you to trus' me. I'm gonna leave you here and I'm gonna go into the bathroom to change my bandages. I won' keep yah here, jus' relax."

Rebecca nodded after a few moments of pondering. Ellis exhaled and left to go to the bathroom, giving Rebecca the breathing space she needed.

"I'm sorry about this morning."

Ellis stopped peeling an apple at the sound of Rebecca's voice. It was close to dinner time, but Ellis was peeling an apple. He didn't know why, but he didn't stop for long. It had been hours since Rebecca talked.

"It's alright. I should'a knocked."

Rebecca wrung her hands together and bit her lip. "Can I be straight with you?"

Ellis turned to Rebecca, who was still seated on the couch, wrapped in the blanket. Her eyes were puffy and red, and the bruise on her face was darkening. "Yeah, what's up?"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

Ellis held his breath, processing. "What?"

"I need... to know that I can trust you that you won't...do...hurt..." Rebecca trailed off, frustrated and scared. She touched the bruise on her face.

"Someone hurt you, didn't they?" Ellis murmured. Rebecca's back straightened and she held her breath. "An' you have a hard time trustin' people."

Rebecca's shoulders shuddered. She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Well, yah can trust me. I won' hurt you."

"It's more severe than you –"

"I won' take advantage of you if that's what you're gettin' at."

Rebecca blinked. "How did - really?"

Ellis put the apple down and dried his hands on his pants. Rebecca tilted her head.

"I'm confused..."

"Don't be," Ellis replied. "I'm not into your type. I have someone."

Rebecca relaxed, burying her face in her hands, relieved.

"I owe you an explanation for my behaviour earlier."

Ellis walked over to the couch and sat beside her. "You don' have'ta tell me anythin' if you don' want to."

"I want to. If you want to listen to me. I...I need your help."

"...Okay."

Rebecca took a deep breath and crossed her legs on the couch, sweeping her messy hair behind her ear.

"About two years ago, I got pregnant with my first child. I was married to my high-school sweetheart, Zack. And a few months later, I gave birth to Emma. Emma and Zack are the ones in that picture you found this morning. And the infection hit... we made it to an evac station, Zack had Emma and went on one chopper. I managed to get on another, but it took me here instead of with them. So I haven't heard from them in about sixteen months."

Rebecca took a shuddering gulp of air, blinking out tears of misery onto her skin. Ellis couldn't find words to comfort her before she continued.

"Five days ago, my cycle started. I was told to come here. I was matched with you; your name was on the paper, but the picture was too blurry to properly make out. Someone came here, though, saying they were you. I should have asked for their paper or ID. I didn't. The man locked the door and didn't talk much. He was pretty aroused already. I tried to tell him I wasn't interested. He hit me."

Ellis tensed at the thought. Rebecca kept going, sobbing slightly.

"I don't remember what happened right after. It was all in chunks. I passed out more than once... I remember him leaving last night. He told me if I left the house, he'd know. He said he'd find me and do it again. He said he'd come back. Tonight." Rebecca wiped her eyes and mouth, sniffing and choking.

Ellis swallowed to keep his bile at bay.

"I remember the feeling I got at one point. When he...released once, I just knew. I don't need a test to tell me I'm... I'm... I got the same feeling with Emma."

Ellis brought his hands to his face, gulping. Shit, this wasn't real.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I had to tell someone. And if he finds out, I'm dead! And I can't abort or leave the camp or anything. I just want to see my family. And he's going to be here in a few hours; I need your help!"

"It's okay. I'm here now an' I won' let that son of a bitch touch you ever again. You have my word."

"I don't know what to do..."

Ellis wrapped his arm around Rebecca and pulled her close, feeling her tears through his shirt.

"Don't worry. I do."


	4. No Safe Place

No Safe Place

There was one thing that Ellis learned from the apocalypse: follow yer gut! When he and the three other survivors made it into the camp, the hick was quick to stash away his weapons from CEDA. He managed to stow away his pistol away from their stealthy hands. He knew he would need it again someday, and he liked the security of having it more than a twelve-foot-tall wall lined with alarms and barbed wire.

He hid it underground in a plastic bag along with five rounds of ammo under a tree in quadrant B before it was converted into a cluster of sex shacks. He ran towards the tree that towered over one house, watching the sun set further. He told Rebecca to prepare for the worst – pack cans of food, bottles of water, anything she could carry in her knapsack. She'd need it after tonight.

Ellis sprinted towards the tree, dodging the gazes of the watchful soldiers marching around. He tried to ignore the loud moans seeping through the walls of the rickety shacks as they flew past him. He collapsed under the tree, holding his breath. Slowly, he clawed his way into the earth, throwing dirt to the side. The sun dipped further behind the mountains.

Ellis felt the smooth plastic beneath his fingernails. He shoved both his rugged hands into the hole and practically tore out the bag containing one of his most prized possessions. It looked just like it did when he left it...

The sun's rays disappeared behind the mountain, cutting the reunion short. Ellis ran back to Rebecca, very aware that her attacker was on the prowl.

"You packed?" Ellis asked as he shut the door behind him. Rebecca emerged from the bathroom with her knapsack slung over her shoulders.

"I think so –"

Ellis ripped open the plastic bag and dumped its contents onto the kitchen counter. He grabbed the ammo and stuffed them into the deep pockets of her sweatpants. He grabbed one of the woman's scraped hands and wrapped it firmly around his gun. She stared at the weapon, then up at Ellis.

"This thing's got me outta trouble more times than I care to admit. There's enough ammo to last yah until the next city."

"What?" Rebecca breathed. "No, I can't accept this."

"Becky, don't be stupid, alrigh'?"

"I don't think –" Becky stiffened and her eyes darted to the door. "Did you hear that?"

Ellis sucked in a breath and turned his attention to the door. He heard faint whistling and footsteps.

"Shit, shit, we can't get out, we're too late!" Becky rasped. The footsteps clunked onto the patio.

"Honey, I'm home!" growled a voice.

"That's him!" she squeaked.

Ellis grabbed Becky's hand and pulled her into the bedroom. "C'mon!"

They barrelled into the room and shut the door as the man opened the front. "HEY!"

Ellis shoved a chair under the door knob. "Window, quick!"

Rebecca ran to the window and tried to wrench it open. It held firm. Ellis ran up to help her. It didn't move.

"Open the fucking door right NOW!" the man screamed. He tried to push the door open. The doorframe started to creak under pressure.

"Gimme some ammo!" Ellis ordered. Becky shoved her shaking hands into her pocket and tossed him one of his ammo clips. He hurled it at the glass. It shattered. He picked Becky up and pushed her through the window, careful enough to avoid the shards.

The doorframe snapped and the man stormed in as Ellis dove out of the window. His wrist caught a shard stuck in the window frame. It tugged at his skin, and Ellis didn't feel a thing until he slammed into the ground. Becky had the ammo back in her pocket and helped Ellis up.

"You're bleeding!" she cried.

"Jus' a scratch," Ellis grunted. The two of them ran onward towards the wall, the man pushing himself through the window.

"We'll need to push that picnic table against the wall!"

The two runaways ran into the picnic table, sending it sliding into the barricade.

"NO!" the man screamed. He was right behind them. Ellis jumped on top of the table. He placed his hands around Becky's waist. She dug her feet into the concrete and gave Ellis' hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Ellis," she said as he pushed her up. "Thank you."

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

Ellis gave Becky a final courtesy nod before he shoved her up to watch her scramble over the wall. She jumped down on the other side. An alarm squealed suddenly, echoing all through the camp. Ellis didn't have enough time to face their pursuer before he grabbed Ellis' bleeding arm. This time, he felt it. The man ripped Ellis off the table like he was a ragdoll and threw him to the ground. Ellis hit his head on one of the houses. Shit, he was strong...

"Well, I'll be fuckin' damned," growled the voice. "It's Nancy."

Ellis opened his eyes and stared at the man. His jaw dropped. He recognized the man.

"Mac, you son of a bitch," Ellis growled. His arm pulsed and blood poured onto the ground beneath him. The soldier looked different without his uniform on. He wore denim jeans and a loose t-shirt. He had no gun with him, but he had a cocky grin towards the fallen kid.

"I'm guessin' Becky-Pie told you," Mac chuckled. Ellis held him arm to his chest, trying to stanch the bleeding. "About our little party."

"Go to hell."

Mac ignored Ellis. "You should have seen her, all sweet and innocent. 'Could'a sworn she was a virgin. I'm a sucker for the smaller women. Tight."

Mac smiled at Ellis. Ellis glared back, pulling himself up.

"Man, she was good. Did you get some? Or did you go cry to Chuckles back home?"

"Fuck you."

"Well, sorry kid, beat yah to the punch. I mean, if I didn't get her pregnant, I dunno what will."

"SHUT UP!" Ellis screamed. He threw his fist towards Mac's face. Mac dodged and punched Ellis in the gut. He fell back to his knees hugging his stomach.

"You're a soldier!" Ellis choked.

"And that means we're the horniest mother fuckers on this goddamn earth. So why can't we get some, hmm? I mean, we are the strongest and the bravest, unlike some of the queers out in the world, surviving the apocalypse, blah, blah, blah. It was just too easy to take your paper and put the blame on you. You could think of it as a compliment. I sorta made a man outta you."

Ellis leapt to his feet and tackled Mac. Mac wrapped his arms around the kid and threw him into the wall Becky jumped over. His head cracked against the cement as Mac drove it in. He pressed his body against his, breathing into his ear.

"You're too desparate, Nancy," he purred in his ear. "Yah gotta stop putting yourself out like that. You could get hurt."

"Get off me!" Ellis gagged. Blood ran down his face. Mac pressed even harder, grinding Ellis into the hard surface.

"You're just so... fragile. I like it."

Mac dug his fingers into the hick's blistered shoulder and used his other hand to probe the gash on his wrist. He screamed, but his cries were blanketed in the sirens. Shit, if Mac wasn't so strong, he'd be able to push him off.

"I think I'm starting to like you," Mac cooed in his ear.

"You two!" another man called. He cocked a gun. "Sir, step away from the wall!"

Mac tensed at the sight of his fellow soldier. He stepped away from the wall. Ellis slid to his knees, trembling. Two soldiers behind the first ran up to Mac and pointed their guns at him.

"What is going on?" one soldier asked. Ellis coughed and held his arm close to his body.

"Las' time I checked, that ain't how to repopulate the Earth!" Ellis said. The soldiers looked down at him. "Ain't that what yah told me, soldier Mac?"

The soldiers snapped their heads to Mac. "You're a soldier? Mac? You aren't in uniform."

"That's cause he's been hunting women. Though I think he missed with me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mac growled as the soldiers handcuffed him.

"Well, guys can't get pregnant. That's what my momma said."

The soldiers stared at Mac, disgust slowly clouding their eyes. The first soldier pulled out his radio.

"It's clear over here, sir. It appears to have been triggered by contact with the wall. Tell the Sergeant that we have someone for him to speak with, out." The soldier put the radio down. "We're hauling your ass out of here. Boys, maybe we should teach our friend a lesson. You take him while I get this one to the clinic."

"Actually, you guys go have fun," Ellis seethed. "I'll escort myself."

Ellis didn't bother getting to his feet until the four men were long gone. He just hoped Becky was out of harm's way.

"Stop fussin' and let me heal you."

Ellis wriggled at Rochelle's touch as she cleaned Ellis' wrist. The glass had sliced his skin open and Mac tore it even further, leaving a four-inch long gash. She was able to use some tape stitches on it and wrap it in gauze as Ellis pressed a cloth to his forehead.

"It hurts," he hissed.

"I know. Almost done."

"Ow!"

Rochelle finished bandaging Ellis' wounds and stood up. She was wearing loose pyjamas and was alone in the house, her two roommates in quadrant B. She lived not too far, so Ellis went there in case Mac went to get him. It was safe, to him. Safer than the military.

"I can't believe some guy would do this to you. I mean, what did he do to your chest?"

"Actually, a woman did that tuh me." Ellis craned his neck to rest his head against the couch. His forehead was still bleeding slightly. Rochelle took the rag from him to soak it again. She laughed.

"What on Earth did you do to deserve that?"

"Nothin'. She went berserk on me. She had too much tuh drink."

"So she lit you on fire?"

"No she threw a candle at me," he replied. "Thanks for letting me stay, by the way. I know it's very late."

"No problem, Sweetie. You're welcome at any time of the day, even if it is at midnight."

Rochelle returned with the new rag and sat with Ellis on the couch.

"So are you in this, too? This whole Repop thing?"

Rochelle sighed and leaned her head on her hand.

"Yes. Well, I'm done, actually."

Ellis' eyes snapped open. "What?"

"I got my test back today. I'm pregnant."

Ellis couldn't breathe. Everything just got real. "But – what – I don'."

"I met with a man, we talked, we did it, and we went our separate ways. It was pretty civil."

"There's nothin' civil about it!" Ellis yelled. "This whole thing is wrong!"

"I know it is, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"Yeah, I've heard that before."

"Alright, well, you seem to be getting better. I have to leave in the morning to register. Try to get some sleep."

"Fine," Ellis spat. "Goodnight."

Rochelle was gone when Ellis awoke. His head was sore and his wrist was stiff. He didn't waste any time getting dressed and leaving to go home. He knew the house he'd arrive at would be empty, but at least it was better than Rochelle's. It wasn't the same.

On his way home, Ellis realized something. It had been over a week since he and Nick did anything intimate. Ever since he left to see Jules, really. Since then, he hadn't kissed Nick or hugged him or even grazed his skin. Things were fucked up and weren't getting any easier. But with Jules gone and Becky free, Ellis was starting to miss those things.

He arrived at his house and stepped up onto the deck. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, slightly zoned out.

"Oh, someone's here!" chirruped a voice.

Ellis's jaw dropped. Standing in the middle of his kitchen leaning over the counter was a blonde, busty woman, wearing shorts and a plaid shirt.

"Nick!" she called.

Ellis' vision started to tinge with red. His throat felt compressed and his gut went cold. Nick rounded the corner with a smile. He froze at the sight of his lover in the doorframe.

"Ellis? What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same," Ellis retorted. "Who the hell is she?"

"I'm Debbie," she replied. "Nick's...partner."

Ellis choked on his words. Partner?

"We ran out of coffee in quadrant B," Nick murmured, avoiding his gaze. "I was just grabbing some."

"What the hell Nick?" Ellis screamed. The two others jumped. "This is our house. OUR HOUSE!"

"Woah, kid, calm down," Nick said. He raised his eyebrows and tried to shoot him a 'shut the fuck up' look.

"FUCK YOU! Don't fuckin' tell me to calm down!"

"Maybe I should go..." Debbie said.

"GET OUT!"

Debbie walked out angrily. "Let me know when your friend calms down, hmm?"

Ellis slammed the door behind her. "You mother fucker."

"Ellis, what the hell? We just came here to get coffee!"

"Did yah sleep with her?"

"What –"

"How could you do this to me? You could'a taken her to the store, or to the neighbours', not our house. This place is for us only!"

"You're blowing this out of proportion," Nick growled. Ellis grabbed Nick's shirt to the conman's surprise.

"Lemme ask you this, Nick, did she try to rape you?"

"What, no!" he replied. "Let go, kid, or I'll make you let go."

"Well, my match did!" he screamed. Nick didn't respond.

"What are you talking about?"

"THE BURNS, NICK! She threw a candle at me because I pushed her off me after she tried to rape me! I know it doesn't sound true, but it is!"

"Ellis, if I'd known –"

"Oh, and remember Mac? Yeah, I met him last night. So there's the explanation for my forehead!"

"Wait, you met Mac? He hurt you?"

"An' then you go ahead and bring your fuck buddy into our house."

"I didn't know you were coming home!" Nick shoved Ellis off him. "Look, I'm sorry about what's happened to you, but I tried to help. You wouldn't even talk to me!"

"Because I KNEW you wouldn't understand! An' I was going through a lot!"

Ellis was shaking, tears spilling onto his skin, blood seeping through the gauze around his wrist. Nick was pressed against one wall and Ellis was on the other in the hallway.

"No, Nick. I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

Ellis shoved past Nick and headed towards the door.

"Ellis, wait! Just sit down and talk to me for fuck sake!"

"I tried!" Ellis responded. He ripped the door open. "Debbie's waitin' for yah. See yah."

"ELLIS, get back here!"

Ellis slammed the door shut, making the house shudder. Nick stood dumbfounded in the hallway, processing everything. He didn't run after him, didn't drag his sorry ass back to the house. He just stood there, staring at the door, hoping Ellis was just bluffing instead of folding.


	5. Justice Serves

Justice Serves

"Ellis? No, Nick, I haven't seen him since this mornin'."

Nick stared at Stan, frustrated. "What time?"

"I dunno, nine-ish?" shrugged the store clerk. "He didn't look too good."

"Great."

"Well," replied the old man as he scratched his chin, "he came in and bought some medical supplies."

Nick blinked and leaned in closer. "What kind of medical supplies?"

Stan stepped back slightly, deep in thought. "Let's see, he bought some... gauze, tape, and a whole shitload of pills. Must've been in a lot of pain, that one."

"Which way did he go?" Nick asked quickly. Sweat beaded his forehead and his back under his t-shirt.

"He went up the street."

Nick pushed off the counter and ran out of the shop, jogging up the street.

He thought Ellis needed time to himself to calm down. That's what the conman would need in times like this. Truth be told, Ellis never got angry like he did that morning. Nick didn't know what the hick needed. He had checked the store, the mess hall, CEDA headquarters, and most of the back alleys around the camp. At first, he was angry. But now, he was worried. No one had seen Ellis recently. It was nearing dinner.

He wished Ellis gave him more details on Mac's attack – was he still out there? Was he looking for Ellis? What even happened? Where was Ellis?

Nick gritted his teeth as he ran faster. A shitload of pills...

"Ellis, don't be stupid," Nick huffed out loud. "Don't do it or I'll kill you."

Nick ran past houses and people, heading towards another alley. He rounded the corner and sped down the alley, jumping over various piles of trash and rubble. The alley took him closer towards the wall with every exhausting step. He should have grabbed the hick's hand and brought him back to the safety of his home. He should have spoken up when he had the chance. He should have acted like he usually would have; gotten to the bottom of the problem and fix it. Why didn't he do it?

Fuck CEDA and their project. Fuck them to hell. Nick's chest began to hurt before he made it to the structure.

"Shit," he gasped. He leaned his arm against the wall and pressed his head against it, holding his chest. "Ellis!" he yelled.

Nick slid from the wall and sat on a picnic table that had been shoved against the wall, panting.

Two hours of running around searching for the kid exhausted Nick. Sure, he fought in the apocalypse and survived, but that was a year ago. He pounded his fist into the cement wall and cursed. He didn't even get a chance to explain himself.

Nick heard footsteps approach from behind. He looked back behind his shoulder, half-expecting his lost lover. He didn't expect the man looking back at him.

"Hell, it's like a fuckin' reunion!"

Nick jumped up from his seat and stepped back, knees bent. "You!"

Mac burst out into laughter, raising his hands in disbelief. "Hell, in the same place, too! Nancy was standin' right where you are right now."

Nick felt a cold feeling in his stomach. "Where's Ellis?"

"Can't find him?" Mac snorted. "Well, I did."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick spat back.

"You should've seen him, running around, sobbing like a baby, lost and confused. Like a puppy."

"I'll kill you," Nick choked. His nostrils flared. His hands balled up into fists.

"No, that ain't happenin'." Mac pulled out a gun and pointed it at the conman. "Not while I have this in my hand. I told Nancy that, too. He didn't listen."

Nick stopped breathing. Ellis...

"And this is the cool part – see this attachment on the end of this beauty?" Mac stroked the silencer on the end of his gun. "Don't worry, no one heard a thing."

Nick's heart felt like it stopped beating all together. His vision went red and his eyes stung as reality set in.

"Well, no one heard the gun. I think a few people heard him screaming, though. Have you ever heard a man beg for death? You see, after I gave him a few rounds as payment for last night, he ended up with some nasty injuries. A few broken bones here and there, some blood on the floor...he had no choice but to grab me and beg. Oh, it killed me, you'd better believe it. To pull the trigger, I mean. I wanted to see how far he could hold on. After an hour, though, his blubbering got annoying."

Nick couldn`t feel anymore.

"Son of a BITCH!" Nick screamed. He leapt over the picnic table and smashed Mac's nose in with his fist. He grabbed the surprised soldier and hurled him into the wall, fuelled by pure adrenaline. Mac's head cracked against the cement.

Mac grabbed his head and glared at Nick through a stream of blood. He grinned again.

"You just pissed me off," he chuckled. "Nancy did that, too."

Mac raised his gun and fired. Nick felt the small bullet graze his neck. Nick grabbed the gun and bent Mac's arm back, cracking his arm with a sickening crunch. Nick felt blood run down his shirt. Shit, the bullet must have torn the skin. Nick managed to throw the gun down the alley way before he kicked Mac in the groin.

"Fucker!" he yelled. He threw his arms over Nick's head and locked him in a headlock. Nick opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into the flesh. Blood filled his mouth as he closed his mouth around the wound, severing a chunk of muscle. He spat it out, choking on the blood as Mac reared back, howling in pain.

Nick pulled himself up to his feet. Mac grabbed his arm and twisted it. Nick went with it, trying to avoid a break, yelling out. Mac stood up and threw the gambler onto the picnic table. Nick's head careened into the old wood, knocking him into a daze. Mac pounced on top of him, panting in his ear.

"You can't win, asshole," he sniggered. "And you ain't gonna forget that. I am the boss here, not you or Nancy or the Sergeant. I am."

"Get off!"

"Not until you've learned your lesson."

Mac picked Nick up and slammed him back down, knocking him into semi-consciousness.

Nick couldn't move, but he could hear the faint clinking of metal as his belt fell loose around the soldiers lap. Mac held his prey against the table with his injured arm as Nick realized what was happening. Only problem was: he couldn't move.

"That's the cool thing about doing this. You see, it's all about power. The sex; well, that's just the benefit."

Nick felt the slight tug at his waistband.

Shit, this wasn't happening, this wasn't real. High card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush. Don't think about it, Nick, block it out. Ellis was gone. He was mutilated, humiliated, terminated. Don't think about that. Move your legs, damnit! When was the last time he held Ellis? Shit, shit, shit!

Mac reached down to his pants and grabbed his fly. Nick couldn't move...this was it.

Mac lurched forward, grunting in pain. He pushed off Nick and whirled around. Blood dripped onto the side of Nick's face.

"You!" Mac screamed, blood spurting out of his shoulder. Nick heard the faint pop of Mac's gun go off. A bullet connected with his neck, sending his body flailing into the wall. Nick's vision was blurred, still in a daze as he tried to make out the figure in front of Mac.

"Bet y'all can't stop a bullet. Fucker."

The gun went off one last time. The bullet entered Mac's head, sending his head snapping back. Blood and brain splattered the wall behind them. Mac's eyes stared at the shooter, vacant, surprised, and angry. With a gargle, Mac fell to his knees and tumbled to the ground. Nick heard the gun skitter over the ground and footsteps race up to him. Nick smelled the familiar scent of apples and shaving cream as someone wrapped their arms around him.

"Nick, c'mon!" Nick sucked in a breath and moved his legs to assist in helping him up. Hands grabbed gingerly at his face. "Oh, God, Nick, tell me you're okay!"

"Ellis?"

Ellis grabbed Nick's pants and hiked them up. "Hurry, we gotta get outta here!"

The hick shoved his hand into his right pocket and pulled out an apple. He threw it over the wall. The alarm triggered. Ellis grabbed the gun that was a few feet away and tore off the silencer.

"You're alive," Nick breathed. He felt weak at the knees. Ellis was completely unscathed, save for the old injuries.

"Of course I am! Shuddup an' MOVE!"

Ellis grabbed Nick's wrist and ran towards the alley. Soldiers were closing in from almost every direction.

"In here!" Ellis pointed to a broken window leading into a house. Ellis bent down on one knee and helped Nick into the house. Ellis followed shortly, rolling clumsily into the house before the soldier saw him. He threw the curtains over the window and pressed himself against the wall. Nick was on his hands and knees on the floor. Ellis leaned over him.

"I thought you were dead. I thought he –"

"I'm okay. I'm here. We're safe."

Nick fell over onto Ellis, holding his head.

"Shit." Nick sniffed and rubbed his nose.

"Don't y'all cry on me," Ellis warned.

"I'm not."

Ellis wrapped his arms around Nick and helped him to his feet. "It looks like he punched you in the mouth. You have blood all over yah."

"I went zombie on him; I gave him a nibble," Nick replied, twitching the side of his mouth into a smile. He was smiling. Actually smiling. Ellis matched him with a flash of his teeth.

"No way."

"It was fuckin' disgusting. Don't do it."

"I don' intend on it, thanks." Ellis pulled Nick into the kitchen and set him on the floor. "I was in this house las' night with Becky. I broke the window." He grabbed a rag and soaked it in some hot water. He sat with Nick and started to clean his face. "You're neck is bleeding, too."

"He shot me."

"You're lucky, then. He missed."

"Obviously not."

Ellis gave Nick the rag to press against his wound. He grabbed another and resumed cleaning his face.

"You left. Mac said he found you. He said he..."

"I hid from him. He never found me."

"You were gone for hours," Nick murmured. "I couldn't find you."

"'Cause I was hidin'?"

"You shot him...you murdered him."

"I did the world a favour. I did Becky a favour. I did us a favour. An' it was to get him off you."

"The soldiers'll come after us."

"With what equipment? You bit him, right? And someone shot him. I triggered the alarm. Totally set the stage. The soldiers'll think he tried to escape, he got bitten, and someone shot him and ran."

Nick stared at Ellis, dumbfounded. He shook his head in amazement.

"Ellis, I'm sorry. I should've –"

"Listened?" Ellis stated. "I should've told you to begin with."

The two men sat in silence, Nick wincing at Ellis' touches. Nick's neck stopped bleeding and Nick's face was clean of sticky blood and Mac's smell.

"My shirt is ruined." Nick tugged at his collar, wet with blood.

"C'mon. Gimme your shirt."

Nick pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into Ellis' hands.

Ellis went into the bathroom and threw it in the sink. He turned on the tap to let cold water run over the fabric.

Did he feel bad about killing Mac? Yes. Was he happy about doing it, though? Kinda. Even though killing infected was easy after a few days, killing a living, breathing human was something else. The rage helped, though. It helped him not feel anything. When he saw Mac over Nick like that, his troubles flittered away. So he picked up that gun.

Ellis scrubbed at the fabric quickly, watching the blood ebb away in the water. He heard footsteps behind him. Nick leaned against the doorframe. "Soldiers are everywhere. They cleaned up the mess, though. I think they bought it."

"Good," Ellis replied. He stopped the tap and stared at the wet fabric in his hands. "Can I know somethin'?"

"Sure, kid."

"Do you think you got Debbie pregnant?" Ellis looked up and looked straight into Nick's eyes. To his surprise, Nick didn't even blink.

"No, I don't."

"How certain are you? Because I don' really wan' her coming back an' movin' in an' shit."

"I am absolutely positive. She's extremely Christian. She wants marriage before anything like that."

Ellis blinked at stared at Nick with a funny face. He laughed, relieved. "So you never –"

"I never even touched her," Nick replied. He flashed a mocking grin at Ellis, who wouldn't stop smiling.

Ellis ran his fingers through his hair and laughed again. He stepped towards Nick and grabbed him, smothering him with a hug. He pulled back and pressed his lips against his lover's.

At first, it was supposed to be innocent, but it quickly turned into passion.

Ellis shoved Nick into the wall across from the bathroom and encased his open mouth with his, wrapping his arms around him. Their tongues entered each other's mouths, alive and hot. Ellis pushed Nick further into the wall with a hint of desperation. The smile on his face disappeared and took the moment as if it would never happen again.

Nick grabbed Ellis' head and pulled him closer yet, spinning the couple around. He pushed Ellis into the wall roughly and took a step back. He hit the wall across from Ellis, separating the two of them.

"No," he panted. Ellis stared back at him, lips slightly open. Nick shut his eyes tight

This was wrong. This whole set up was wrong. Mac abused both Ellis and Nick and left injuries. And he just tried to violate Nick. No, this wasn't right. It shouldn't be right. He shouldn't want this so much; but he did. And Ellis wanted it too, that was certain.

Ellis raised and arm and wiped his mouth. With a nod he stepped over to go to the kitchen. Nick sucked in a breath through his nostrils, feeling guiltier with every shuffle the hick made. Nick balled his fists, desire burning through every inch of him. Nick jumped over to Ellis and grabbed his arm. He spun him around and locked the kid's mouth with his. It was Nick's turn to take them to the wall as he shoved Ellis' back into the drywall, tugging his shirt.

"Watch it!" gasped Ellis. His burns throbbed slightly. Nick groaned and grabbed the cotton in his hands. He tore the shirt open and threw it off him. He grabbed Ellis' face and pulled it to his. Ellis dug his fingers into Nick's back with a moan. Nick grabbed Ellis' leg and hooked it over his hip, pushing his pulsating groin into the hick's. Ellis squirmed and moaned again, panting like the conman. Nick rotated his hips and dragged his fingers over Ellis' chest, clawing at his flesh.

They dragged their fingers every where they could reach, feeling over their familiar bodies, panting and groaning with every rotation Nick made with his pelvis. Ellis turned his head to the side, sweat beading on his forehead, breathing in an uneven pace. He pushed his ass against Nick and pulled away as if he were pushing him away.

The conman grinned again and grinded even rougher.

"Uhnn! S-Stop!"

"Goin' soft? Nick murmured, shoving against him again. Strands of hair fell in front of his gaze as he panted through his smile.

"Hardly," Ellis panted.

"Very funny."

"Don't do that."

"What, this?" Nick pressed into Ellis harder, feeling the contours of his package through his pants.

Nick entwined his fingers in Ellis' auburn hair, pulling his head closer to his, kissing him again. Nick used his other and brought it to his lips. He licked them and grabbed one of the hick's exposed nipples. Ellis gasped and pushed his head into the wall.

"Shit, kid," Nick mumbled as a bead of sweat trickled over his temple. Nick ran his damp hand from Ellis' chest down to his pants. He grabbed the button of his pants and flicked his fingers, opening them. He grazed his knuckles over the sensitive skin covered in soft hair, sucking on the kid's neck. He undid his fly and pushed his hand into the kid's boxers. Ellis moaned louder as Nick slowly pumped his hand, burying his face in Ellis' shoulder. Nick grabbed Ellis's hands and shoved them to the wall, leaving his chest open and ready for the taking. He opened his mouth and hungrily grazed his tongue over Ellis' throat, down to his collar bone. Ellis shuddered.

He felt his pants fall around his feet. He kicked off his shoes and stepped out of them.

"I would have expected you to want to go home," Nick murmured. He pulled Ellis' naked leg back up over his hip.

"The house – was made – for this," panted Ellis.

"Fuck, you're the second guy who's wanted to get in my pants in the past hour," Nick smirked.

"I haven't – had sex with you – in over a week. Gimme a break."

Ellis moaned. He couldn't move away from Nick, pressed up against the cold wall, grinding Nick in his boxers.

Nick pulled away from Ellis and let his pants drop. He shoved Ellis to the ground and crawled on top of him.

Nick held Ellis' shoulders to the ground and kissed him deeply, grinding him into the ground. He bit his lover's lip and stared into his blue eyes. Nick stared back as he reached over and pulled Ellis' boxers down to his knees. Ellis pulled Nick's down and ran his hands over the familiar body over him. Nick pulled Ellis' ass closer to him and spread his legs wider, grimacing as he pushed himself in. The contact made Ellis squirm with trepidation, parting his lips to gasp.

Nick didn't let Ellis recover and persisted, holding Ellis' hips as he pounded into him, aware of the pain and pleasure rocking the kid. Ellis grabbed his arms and shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut.

Nick started thrusting, and Ellis grimaced, biting his lips. "It...hurts," he gasped.

"You like it," Nick panted back with a smile. Ellis smiled and moaned louder.

Nick went faster, deprived of sexual contact for days. Ellis gasped and dug his nails into the conman's back as Nick reached down and clutched his partner's member.

Ellis' back arched off the carpeted ground, gasping a fragmented gasp.

"Shit," Nick groaned as he accelerated. He released the hick's dick and hooked his arms under his legs. He pulled Ellis' legs up and pinned his knees to his chest. He slammed into him, sweat dripping off his face.

Ellis released a loud cry and lost his breath as he came, sending his seed spurting onto his bandages and stomach. Ellis' grip and choking gasps sent Nick into pure exhilaration. He slammed into him three more times before filling his lover with liquid.

Nick uttered a final moan before falling on top of the twitching kid into his mess, trying to catch his breath.

"Shit," rasped Ellis. He sucked in a few breaths and rubbed his eyes. His mouth twitched into a smile and pressed his cheek against Nick's wet forehead.

Soldiers ran around the house, calling out orders and quarantining Mac's body. They knew the two of them would be thrown back into the project the next day. They knew that everything wasn't solved. They knew they had injuries that would hurt even more in the morning. They just didn't give a shit.


	6. Winter Glassware

Winter Glassware

Winter invaded the CEDA settlement; two months after the dramatic events of October had blossomed and wilted. Nick and Ellis managed to stay at home without the soldiers bothering them about Becky's escape or Mac's death. They were interrogated twice all together, and Nick, with his quick lies and sharp tongue, managed to get CEDA off their tails. Fortunately for the lovers, CEDA never sent a new match for either of them in that time. Life was slowly returning to a stable level. Whatever that was.

Ellis stared out the window of his living room into the snow-filled streets with their only blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His breath wisped out of his mouth into visible puffs that fogged the dirty glass he was peering through.

"Tits!"

Ellis jumped at the sound of Nick's rough bark that echoed from the bathroom. Ellis covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as Nick scrubbed himself in the freezing water of their shower, gasping every swearword possible.

Ellis' smile stained his face as he dragged his hand up his bare chest under his blanket to stroke his scarred shoulder. The burns had healed nicely, leaving a large discolouration on his skin, along with his forehead. Thankfully, that was the only thing reminding him of the psychos in the camp. Nick's neck healed as well, leaving another tiny scar on his skin.

The shower turned off and Nick leapt out, audibly shivering and cursing. He ran out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist and sped into the bedroom.

"You asshole!" he yelled out the door. He stomped down the hallway. Ellis exhaled dramatically. "Give me the blanket!"

Ellis kept looking at snowflakes, trying his hardest to not laugh at Nick. Nick entered the living room and stepped in front of Ellis. His hair wasn't slicked back, but all over the place as if it was frozen in place like a porcupine. Nick was as white as a sheet and his lips were turning the faintest hue of blue. His face bore the angriest expression with a hint of whininess.

He couldn't take it anymore. Laughter exploded out of the hick's mouth, making him double over. Nick growled and grabbed Ellis' concealed arms. He pried them away from the mechanic's body before Ellis could protest. The gambler let the towel drop to the floor as he tackled Ellis' newly-exposed, naked form as the blanket fell to the floor. He pressed his wet, naked body against the hick's dry and slightly warm one. Neither men were wearing clothes. Ellis gasped and tried to jump out of the way to escape the cold. Nick shoved his face into Ellis' shoulder. The conman tried to get every inch of his companion wet, too.

"Stop it, yah a-hole, that's cold!" Ellis yelled. Nick locked his arms around Ellis and pushed the two of them onto the sofa. Nick grabbed the blanket and pulled it over them, shifting around to get comfortable.

"Thanks," Nick growled. Ellis shivered and glared at the conman.

"I hate you," Ellis muttered.

"That's not what you said last night."

"Shaddup."

Nick grazed his cold hand up Ellis' quivering chest towards his scalp. He wrapped his fingers through the light brown locks of Ellis' crown and tugged at them roughly.

"We should try to get warm," Nick murmured.

"I bet'chu have an idea on how tuh accomplish that," Ellis snorted. "You ain't touching me with those ice bricks yah call hands until they're warmer."

"Don't tempt me."

Nick bent his knee and pressed it gently against Ellis' bare groin and pulled Ellis' face to his.

The two men faltered at the sound of a knock at the door. They looked at each other, feeling their naked bodies squirm against each others'.

Ellis pushed Nick off and grabbed the blanket, lunging for the door.

"Hey! Use the towel, assclown!" Nick grabbed Ellis' ankle. He fell to the floor and Nick grabbed the blanket. Ellis leapt to his feet and put Nick into a headlock, stealing the blanket from him in time to open the door.

"Afternoon." A voice flew in with the frigid air. A soldier, wrapped in a thick coat and a wool scarf, trudged in, allowing Ellis to shut the door behind him. Ellis wrapped the blanket around him to mask his nudity.

Ellis turned and saw Nick practically posing on the couch, legs spread, stark, and wet, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was nude in front of a stranger. The soldier coughed and averted his gaze to Ellis. The hick's mouth was open, the grip on the blanket covering him loosening. Nick, that bastard.

"Oh, am I disturbing something?" the soldier asked sheepishly.

"No, not at all," Nick replied with a grin. "What can we do for you?"

Ellis shot a 'how-fucking-dare-you' look at Nick. Nick just smiled at him. Ellis chuckled nervously at the soldier to grab his attention.

"We, uh, ran outta towels," he said.

"We were about to fuck, but, y'know, CEDA's always welcome here!" Sarcasm seemed to drip from Nick's mouth through his smile.

"Nick!" Ellis yelled.

"Yes, Ellis?"

"Alright, Ellis," the soldier stated, "I hate to break up the party, but you need to come with me."

Nick's smile vanished. He left the couch and wrapped the towel around his waist again as Ellis stared at the soldier.

"What – why?" he asked quickly. Nick ran his fingers through his hair, bracing himself for bad news.

"I'm here to escort you back quadrant B."

Ellis took a step back, his face contorting into anger. "Wait, what?"

"I have to escort you to your new partner." The soldier looked at Ellis suspiciously.

"It's been over two months, ass-wipe," Nick sneered. "And you're here _now_? As an escort?"

The soldier furrowed his brown eyebrows and winced at the harsh comment. "Sir, have you not heard about the latest news on Project Repop?"

Nick sniggered. "No, I haven't really given a shit, lately."

The soldier took a deep breath. "Project Repop has been modified to protect its participants; the quadrant is now secured and has twice as many military officials in it. Everyone must be escorted to their house and must be the appropriate match. The houses are now guarded by one soldier per two houses. Ellis here was matched months ago with this woman, but she had a heart attack, poor woman. She's okay now, and she's waiting at the house."

"But _why_?" Nick asked, annoyed.

"Well, back in October, a woman seriously injured herself and her partner after drinking too much wine."

Ellis' shoulder twitched as his throat went dry.

"She managed to give the man's shoulder and neck second-degree burns; horrible accident. She was in the clinic for about two weeks, but she was pulled from the program. I don't know about the man."

Nick's gaze burned into Ellis' body. Ellis shifted uncomfortably, unbeknownst by the soldier. He remembered all too well; Jules grossly intoxicated, sobbing and growling before hurling a hot candle right at his head.

"There was also a soldier who was discovered to be impersonating a civilian in order to sleep with two unsuspecting women."

Ellis stopped breathing. Two? Becky wasn't the only one?

"After he was found, he apparently tried to escape by climbing over the wall. He appeared to have been bitten. As a result, an anonymous person shot him and fled the scene. And thank goodness! We wouldn't want any of those...things... in the camp. Oh, and one his two victims managed to disappear. We're still trying to find her, but so far, no luck."

"Rebecca Kiltswater?" Ellis blurted. The soldier's gaze snapped up to the hick's face. Nick tensed. Ellis' eyes widened at his mistake.

"Why?" the soldier asked. "Do you know her?"

"She an' I... used to go out every Saturday to go shopping."

"Oh. Well, yes, she's missing, so if she comes around, let CEDA know."

As if. Hopefully, she'd be closer to her husband and child in Oregon and farther from Louisiana.

Ellis looked at Nick. Nick looked at the soldier. The soldier looked at Ellis.

"Wait," Ellis muttered. "What about Nick, here. He hasn't been matched for two months, either."

"Ellis," Nick hissed. The soldier merely shrugged.

"I dunno, I'm just the messenger. My only concern right now is getting Ellis to his match. So," the soldier prompted Ellis," we gotta go; we're late. Dress in something warm, it's a hell of a walk."

Ellis thought the cold was harsh enough, but this was surreal.

Just like the soldier had explained, quadrant B was no longer just another patch of houses, but a highly secured, fenced-off area infested with soldiers. Uncomfortable, Ellis stuffed his hands into his old mechanic jumpsuit, which was the only thing warm enough for him. The soldier accompanying Ellis led him through the new gate and took him straight to house 7K.

"Alright, Ellis," the soldier huffed. "This is it. You know the new rules of Project Repop – no forced sexual intercourse; no flesh-injuring activities such as biting, scratching, or tearing; no leaving the house between the hours of 6pm to 7am; no alcohol consumption; and no visitors. Breaking these rules will result in time spent at the new CEDA detention facility. Understand?"

Ellis nodded quickly. "Is she in there already?"

The soldier laughed and rubbed the back of his neck under his scarf. "Oh yeah, she sure is!"

Ellis stared at the giggling soldier, knowing something fishy was unfolding. He turned to the door and knocked on it. He heard rapid footsteps approach from the inside. Instead of tapping, they stomped and made the door rattle. Ellis' eyes widened as the door swung open to reveal Tatiana Darling.

"Holy shit," Ellis exclaimed to himself, craning his head to see the woman's face.

Her name was no indication of her appearance. She had a large frame, making her tower over the hick. Her eyes were dark brown and her hair consisted of black and gray frizzy curls. She wore unsporting men's clothing which included a plaid jacket and baggy overalls. She looked as if she could tear him in half.

"Ellis? Oh, you are so _adorable_!" she squealed. She reached out and pinched Ellis' numb cheek, giggling. "Thanks, Hector, y'all kin leave now!"

"I'll be outside, Darling!" Hector exclaimed cheerily.

Tatiana whisked Ellis inside and shut the door. She locked it.

"Ma name's Tati! How're y'all doin'?"

"I, uh, well," Ellis stuttered.

"We are going to have so much _fun_! Gawd, I have'tuh ask: how old are yah? You jus' look too dayum cute!"

"T-Twenty-four, ma'am."

"Well, fourteen years difference isn't that big uv'a deal!"

Ellis went pale and his throat went dry. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Tati turned and stomped into the kitchen to grab an apple from the fridge. She took a bite and swallowed.

"So what's yer story, hmm? Survivor? Rescued?" she asked, spitting apple from her mouth.

"I survived," Ellis stated.

"Oh, wow. I got rescued back in Texas with ma whole family. Husband died years ago, tragic, but I got a couple'a kids outta it! They're in the project, too! Got the news yesterday 'bout Winnie's pregnancy and John's done, too! Do you know John? No? Oh well, since they're in the Project, I have tuh try tuh get another baby! Gawsh, I can't wait to be a mother again, an' you seem like the strong type, so I'll assume that the baby'll be strong, too. One second, I gotta pee!"

Tati tossed the unfinished apple into the sink and walked into the bathroom.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ellis jumped to his feet and ran to the main door. He tried to open it, but remembered the deadbolt. He tried to turn it, but it didn't budge. The bathroom door opened and Ellis jumped back on the couch. Tati turned around the corner and wiped her mouth. She sat beside Ellis, shoving against him to get closer.

_It's okay, she's only old enough to be your mother. Jus' tell her you're not interested. I'm sure she'll take it the right way. It's either that or get crushed. Or killed._

Ellis choked and forced a smile. Tati smiled widely and puckered her lips.

"So how'd y'all wanna do this? Yew should top."

Ellis blinked and caught his breath. "W-Woah! A-Ain't this goin' a little too fast?"

Tati unzipped her jacket and wriggled out of it. She threw it to the floor and unbuckled her overalls. She grabbed Ellis' jumpsuit and shrugged. "Well, I already have a family, I don' wanna get attached to a cutie like yew. So we gotta do this quick."

"T-Tati!"

Tati pulled Ellis' jumpsuit off his shoulders and pulled his arms out as if she were undressing a toddler. Ellis placed his hands around her thick wrists and moved them away. "No. I –"

"No, what? What's wrong, too cold?"

"No, it's not that, it's just – I can't –"

"Can't what?" Her eyes flashed down to Ellis' lap. "Oh, you can't do _that_."

Ellis snapped his eyes down to his crotch. "Wait, no, it's not that, I don't have a problem with that!"

"It's alrigh', El, my husband had the same problem! Even Viagra didn't do the trick!"

Ellis' face started burning. "B-But that's not –"

"Yew wait righ' here. I'ma go get somethin' tuh help."

Tati stood up and made her way to the bedroom. Ellis jumped up again, panting, and tried to wrench the door open as if a tank were riding his ass.

"Got it!" Tati chirruped. Her loud footsteps approached. Ellis bounded back onto the couch just before Tatiana emerged. In her large hands was an old potato sack. She set it on the ground at Ellis' feet and sat back down. Ellis shivered as the cold licked his exposed arms and wished he could pull his jumpsuit back over his shoulders. Tati bent over and opened the bag. Ellis tried to see its contents, but Tati's head got in the way.

"Here we go!"

Tati straightened her posture with a magazine in her hand. She smiled and tossed it onto Ellis' lap. Ellis peeked at the cover.

"Porn?" he asked slowly.

"Yup! John read's 'em so I thought that it would help if help was needed!"

Ellis stared at the woman on the cover and gulped. "Tati, listen, I –"

"Don' be embarrassed, go ahead an' read it! I'll read mah own book over here."

Ellis grudgingly opened the porn magazine as Tati sat down with a novel.

It wasn't like this was new to him; he used to always look at this sort of stuff when his dad wasn't home. But when the apocalypse hit, all of that jacking off over fake women didn't count for squat. Soon, shooting the infected was his new love. And when Nick came around, the danger was like crack. Porn magazines didn't do anything for him anymore, especially when even porn stars couldn't achieve what Nick was capable of doing on certain rare occasions.

Ellis flipped through the pictures, tilting the magazine this way and that, questioning the positions of the couples staining the paper. One picture caught his attention: a woman pressed against a wall taking it from some body builder from behind. His hand was hooked under her right knee, pulling it up to show the camera all the action.

_If Nick did that to me, I'd go fuckin' nuts. Like that time after we got outta that swamp._

Ellis suppressed a cough, averting his eyes from the pictures. His face went red as the image replayed itself in his head.

_He was pacing around the safe house, the white fabric of his tux rubbing against itself. Ellis stared up at the conman's face as he stood up. _

"_I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I – I shouldn't a done that."_

"_No, you shouldn't have," Nick spat back. Rochelle moaned in her sleep and rolled over. Coach snored loudly. Ellis bit his bottom lip, the feel of his kiss still pressed against them._

"_I understand if you're mad at me, now."_

"_No, kid," Nick hissed. "I'm fucking frustrated!"_

"_Why?"_

_Nick stopped pacing and stared into the hick's eyes long and hard. He cleared the space between them and crushed his face with his just like Ellis had done five minutes before. _

_When Ellis' clothes were removed, Nick bent him over one of the boxes piled up in the corner, breathing hot air into his ear as he pressed into him for the first time. Both men were full of ecstasy. Nick panted and groaned at the sight of Ellis' back muscles tensing, showing his build to the conman's green eyes over and over again. _

_He wanted Ellis to never forget this. Never. Nick would make sure of that. And truth be told, he was at the point of not wanting to forget it, either. That, in itself, was strange. So he grabbed Ellis' leg and pulled it up, making Ellis moan loud and long as he pounded into him one last time, joining his moans with his own. Rochelle stopped snoring just as Ellis gasped one last time, shooting his seed onto the box as Nick filled Ellis with his._

_And when Ellis' knees gave out, Nick went with him, wondering why the hell he was smiling._

Ellis' breaths came rapidly now, sweat beading his forehead. His face burned red-hot and he had a massive erection. Unfortunately, Tati noticed.

"See, what I tell yah?" she stated. She shut her novel with a clap and left her seat at the table. She dropped her overalls to her feet and stepped out of them. Ellis' eyes went wide, Nick's moans filling his ears again and again. Only when Tati removed her underpants did Ellis snap out of it.

"No!" he gasped. Tati froze.

"What's wrong?"

"No, Tati, I can't keep –"

Tati looked down again to Ellis' pants. "Oh."

Ellis' pants had gone back to flatness.

"No, it has nothing to do with –"

"Not tuh worry, Ellis, I have somethin' else fer yew! Here," she said as she shoved her hand into the sack again. This time, she pulled out a can of some sort of food.

"Oysters," she stated.

Ellis laughed nervously. "Huh?"

"Oysters, mama nature's natural Viagra! C'mon, eat up!"

Lunch had been served.

Ellis forced the slimy shellfish down his throat, making a face. He finished the entire can and set it on the other side of the couch.

Ten minutes later, Ellis saw what Tati meant.

"_Nick, please," Ellis moaned. "Ro' an' Coach...they'll see."_

"_I need this again. And so do you." Nick threw his jacket off him, pressing Ellis' back to the wall of another safe house._

Ellis gulped again as Nick's sexy voice re-entered his head.

"_Shit, kid, shh!" Nick growled as Ellis breathed loudly. Rochelle and Coach were right below them, finding food. And Ellis wanted to scream his bliss to the heavens._

"Ah, told yah it would work."

Ellis' eyes opened. Tati was standing over him, ready for what Ellis apparently had to offer.

"That actually worked better than I expected!"

The hick blushed even more as Tati stared at his package. She unzipped his jumpsuit slowly. She opened the suit and unzipped the jeans underneath. Ellis squeezed his eyes shut, praying to god that she'd have another heart attack or that Nick would knock on the front door before having to shove her off him.

Suddenly, Tati stopped moving and took her hands away from Ellis' lap.

"Ellis?"

Ellis opened his eyes again and peered down at Tati. She looked down to her knees and sighed.

"What?" Ellis asked.

"I have a wee bit of a confession tuh make," she confessed. "I'm selfish."

Selfish? Where'd she get that idea?

"You're twenty-four. I'm thirty-eight. Shit, where I come from, y'all could be my son! So I have something fer yew tuh try, an' I hope yew like it."

"Sorry?" Ellis zipped his fly and his jumpsuit. "What're yah sayin'?"

"I'm sayin' that there ain't no use in trying to make yew have sex with me. It ain't righ'."

Ellis simply stared at the woman. Was he hearing this right? No throwing candles around? No hitting him with brooms?

"That and yew obviously have someone else."

"Woah, huh?" Ellis stammered. Tati's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Nick?" she asked. Ellis' jaw dropped at the comment. "Yew moaned it when yew dosed off just now. Right after yew ate them oysters. "

Shit. Fuck. Piss! Ellis, you retard! Can you not talk in your sleep?

"Anyhow," Tati piped up as Ellis regained a normal breathing pace, "this is what I wanted yew tuh try."

Tatiana reached into the sack one final time and pulled out a very normal, practical, everyday object. A tumbler glass. Ellis scoffed.

"Uh, Tati, I ain't drinking. Y'all can get that idea outta your head."

Tati flung her hand up and whacked the side of Ellis' face. "Watch yer tone! Naw, I ain't gettin' yew drunk, I'm a mama for Christ's sake! No, take this glass, go to the bathroom, think about yer girlfriend – or yer boyfriend – and whip me up a nice batch o' joy and I'll use a turkey baster an' do this myself!"

Ellis stared at the glass Tati placed in his hand. She crossed her arms and tilted her head towards the bathroom. Ellis looked up at her.

"Wait, you mean – I – you – uhh – what?"

"God, boy, honestly!" Tati scoffed. She stood up and grabbed Ellis' wrist. She wrenched him to his feet and dragged him to the bathroom. "When I give you a free pass to wank off, y'all do it!"

Ellis didn't have enough time to process what was happening before he was shoved into the bathroom.

"Y'all remember to give me enough to work with!" she called back at him as she shut the door.

And Ellis was alone. Out of all the people in the CEDA camp, he got matched with a psycho violent drinker, a depressed rape victim, and now a mother of two grown children asking him to jerk off into a cup.

_Think about it, Ellis! It's like donating your sperm!_

The thought made Ellis feel a little better. He set the glass on the side of the tub, his mind full of porno-positions and his stomach full of oysters, hearing Nick's voice moan in his head. Ellis took a deep breath, waiting for the right moment to start, and dropped his pants.

Nick hated CEDA. He hated them with a passion. Right after Ellis left, Nick hated his house, too. It felt empty. So Nick left the house to tramp through the snow in only jeans and a t-shirt, allowing the cold to numb his senses. He made his way to the convenience store, his t-shirt sucking in whatever snowflakes landed upon it. He stepped into the store, nodding towards Stan.

"You cold at all Nick?" he asked.

"Hey, Stan," Nick replied, purposely avoiding Stan's question. "What's new?"

Stan exhaled as Nick went to the fridge at the back.

"CEDA came by this morning and told me to start packing up."

Nick frowned. "Why?"

"You haven't heard yet?" Stan asked.

"Please tell me this ain't more bad news, 'cause if it is –"

"No, it's _wonderful _news!" Stan exclaimed. Nick turned to face him, holding a glass bottle of Iced Tea in his hand. "CEDA sent some military officials to go through New Orleans a few months ago, and they've officially declared it safe! They closed off the city and with all the survivors in the country, it's big enough to start all over!"

"You're shitting me!"

"No, we're outta here next month! CEDA's rounding up any salvageable choppers and planes as possible as we speak!"

The bottle in Nick's grasp slipped, smashing all over the floor. Stan laughed at Nick's bewildered face. Nick felt the corners of his mouth tighten as he smiled.

And Nick ran. He ran out of the store and into the snow, leaving the glass behind him. He turned up the street and sprinted as fast as he could towards quadrant B.

They were leaving. They were finally being set free. Nick never felt so happy. He slipped around a corner, crashing into a snowman that a group of kids were making. He tumbled into the ground, grinding his bare arm against the frozen gravel underneath. He jumped to his feet.

"Sorry!" Nick yelled over his shoulder. He kept running. He ignored the stares from everyone as Nick's arm left blood drops on the white snow by his feet. People wrapped in thick coats shuddered at the sight of Nick's bare skin as he sped past.

"Oh, shit!" he cried. A woman stepped into his path. He skidded to a halt right before touching the woman. She didn't even budge.

"Watch it!" the familiar voice barked.

"Ro!"

Rochelle threw the hood of her jacket back, thick lips pursed. "Y'all gonna kill somebody!"

"Not today!" Nick said.

"What're y'all so happy about?" she asked suspiciously. "Maybe you should put on a coat."

"No, Ro, we're leaving! We're getting out of this shit-camp next month!"

"Ok, seriously, let's get you a jacket."

Rochelle turned to leave. Nick grabbed her arm and turned her back.

"I'm not lying!"

Rochelle's concerned stare morphed into disbelief. A smile broke out onto her face. She started laughing. Nick laughed with her.

"I gotta go, I'll drop by later. Tell Coach!"

Nick left Rochelle and resumed running. He made a final turn before seeing the gate of quadrant B.

A figure shuffled through the snow in front of the gambler, walking towards him. Nick didn't think any of it until he was passing the man. They looked up at each other right before Nick barrelled past.

"Nick?" shouted Ellis. He lunged out to grab Nick. The speed sent both of them crashing into the soft snow, Nick on top of Ellis.

The breath was knocked out of the kid. Nick propped himself up and kissed Ellis, forcing his mouth open for his tongue to enter. Ellis gasped and wriggled under the man's weight.

"Nick! There are people watching!" he whispered.

"What are you doing out of the quadrant?" Nick asked suddenly.

Ellis shut his mouth.

"Are you hurt?" the conman probed.

"No, I'm fine," Ellis replied. "No burns, no bruises, no cuts. What the hell happened tuh you?"

Nick looked at his bleeding arm. "Doesn't matter, but listen, I was just at Stan's store, and you're not going to believe what he told me."

Ellis propped himself up on his elbows, his back arching as snow melted down the back of his suit.

"CEDA's letting us go," Nick breathed. "We're leaving."

"Alright, man, that ain't funny. Y'all letting the cold get tuh you."

"Fuck off, Ellis! I'm telling the truth!"

"How long have yah been outside without a coat?"

Nick replied with a handful of snow and shoved it into the kid's face. Ellis yelped and cried out.

"Alright, stop it!" he yelled. Nick wiped Ellis' face. Blue eyes stared into green as it hit him; the notion of freedom.

"Holy shit, it's Christmas!" Ellis cheered. "Well, not really, but y'know."

"Wait, why _are _you out of the quadrant if you haven't been hurt?" Nick asked slowly.

"They let me go," his lover replied.

"But why? You didn't actually –"

Ellis smiled widely and giggled. Nick made a face. "Naw, I did. I did, but I didn't."

Nick scoffed and pulled Ellis to his feet, his smile loosening. "Oh."

Ellis' smile vanished. "Nick, I didn't sleep with her."

"Uh-huh. You did, but you didn't." Nick brushed his pants off and stuffed his hands into his pockets, the air filled with sudden awkwardness.

"How do I say this without you killing me?" Ellis asked. Nick shrugged angrily, thinking about his partner sleeping with a strange woman and being happy about it after the fact. "I – she – well – hell, here it goes: Ijerkedoffintoacupan'sheusedaturkeybasteran'she'."

Nick stopped walking. "What did you just call me?"

"I didn't call you anythin', I told yah how it happened. I jerked off into a cup for her and she was happy 'bout it so she set me free. Woman's choice."

And the next thing Ellis knew, Nick was falling backwards. He was convulsing with laughter, even after he hit the ground, and rolled around in the snow. Ellis stared at the man, confused. When was the last time Nick laughed so hard? And soon Ellis was joining in, laughing until his sides hurt and his knees gave out, joining Nick in a heap in the snow, hugging him and holding him and kissing him until people asked them to leave.

They had done it – they had survived the apocalypse and now CEDA. They had survived Jules' rage, Becky's nightmare, Mac's terror, and their own jealousy. They also kept their unspoken promise; a promise that was made after that fateful night outside of the swamp.

They had remained faithful.

FIN


	7. Epilogue: Storytime

Epilogue

After her violent episode with Ellis, Jules failed to remember what had happened, denying what the doctors were telling her. She waited five years before she was allowed to go home in Wales.

Becky made it halfway to Oregon from Louisiana before she was found by the military. She was taken directly to the clinic in Oregon's CEDA camp to treat a fractured jaw, two broken fingers, and one broken rib. She kept Mac's baby and gave birth in New Orleans after Oregon was transferred there. She now lives with her husband and her daughter as well as Ellie, the new addition to the family.

Tatiana's new son always wondered who his father was. Tatiana told Max that his father was someone with a great heart. That was all that mattered. And Max would look up with his blue eyes into his mother's dark-brown ones and smile, hoping he'd have a great heart, too.

Ellis become the first mechanic in New Orleans and become popular among the children with his stories of the apocalypse. Even Nick managed to sit through some of them, and when he did, he was sure to add in his side of the story.

"So there we were, trapped in this mall, an' heard this cryin' sound."

A pair of young blue eyes stared out at the mechanic, wide with awe. He'd heard this story so many times before, and it still gripped his tiny heart every time he heard it again. He heard a whimper.

Little Max turned his head at the faint sound. A girl, about his age, brought her knees to her chest. She had blonde hair tied up in little pigtails, her green eyes peering up at the legendary hick. Max crawled over to her.

"Hi," he chirruped. The girl looked over at him.

"Hi," she replied.

"Are you scared?" the little boy asked.

"No!" the girl gasped. "Nuh-uh!"

"You look scared. Don' worry, he and the others are saved by a guy on a boat."

"You mean it?"

The five-year-olds looked at each other and smiled.

"I'm Ellie," the little girl said.

"Maximus, but you can call me Max. Some people like to call me Maxi, but I think that's a girl's name, so Max is good."

"Where's your mommy?" she asked.

"At home taking care of Winnie's baby."

"What about your dad?" Ellie asked.

"I don't have one," Max replied.

"Me neither!"

"If I had a daddy, though, I'd want it to be him." Max extended a stubby arm and pointed up at Ellis, who flailed his arms around as he got to the climax of his story. Nick sat on top of his car and shook his head. "He's cool, and mama always told me that his eyes were jus' like mine. An' he's pretty much brothers with Nick, so that way I'd get an awesome uncle, too!"

"I want to be Ellis' daughter, then, too. My real daddy was a bad man before he disappeared. Mommy said he hurt her, so I don't count him as my daddy," Ellie murmured. "Ellie sounds like Ellis, doesn't it?"

"I suppose. An' I wouldn't really mind it if you were my sister."

The children gazed upon Ellis through their eyelashes and grinned. If only Ellis was Max's real father. If only he knew.


End file.
